Adventures in Magic
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Cedric and Sofia travel around to different kingdoms as Magical Ambassadors of Enchancia one summer to gain more magical experience and abilities, facing down new dangers while forming an even stronger bond with each other. (Note: Many of my OCs and Original Items make a return in this story!)
1. Opportunity of a Lifetime

**Adventures in Magic**

 ** _Story Summary_** : Cedric and Sofia travel around to different kingdoms as Magical Ambassadors of Enchancia one summer to gain more magical experience and abilities, facing down new dangers while forming an even stronger bond with each other.

 _ **Premise**_ : With King Roland's blessing and with Cordelia stepping in to substitute for her brother as Royal Sorceress, Cedric is given the summer to travel around the Ever Realm so that he can act as a magical ambassador as well as become even stronger with his own magical abilities. Sofia, who is currently pursuing her own magical education, decides to travel with him so she can get more experience and training. Together, they navigate the excitement and dangers of magic while forming an even stronger bond with each other. (Takes place a little over two years after the end of the original show)

 _ **Disclaimer**_ : I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

 ** _A/N_** : Hi, everyone! Wow! First of all, let me just say that this story has been in the works for about nine months now. I began with a general idea: What would happen if Cedric went on some sort of magic-related trip and Sofia tagged along? I sat down and plotted things out, including the premise, the overall summary, the OCs, the chapter titles and summaries, and everything within the course of about a week. I've made edits here and there, but for the most part, the idea of the story and the goal I have in mind remained the same. For those of you who enjoy reading long stories, you'll be pleased to know that this will be a 25-chapter story: _the_ longest story I have _ever_ written on this site. But just wait. Its follow-up, Beyond Enchancia, is even longer. I'm not entirely sure if these two series will be my final _Sofia the First_ stories or not… Since the show has ended, I'm not certain what my writing future holds. Honestly, the show was such a huge part of my life the last four and a half years, so it will take some time to adjust to its finalization. However, I do want to pay tribute to one of the best shows ever, so what better way than to do what I do best? Cedric and Sofia on a mission? Check. Funny/cute/sweet/emotional moments? Check. Villains? Check. Adventure? Check. A beautiful wrap-up? Check. No matter what happens after the completion of this story and the Beyond Enchancia series, I do want to thank every single person who's ever read my stories, reviewed them, favorited/followed them, sent feedback or suggestions for stories, messaged me for anything, and so on. You all are the reason I write, as I've said before. Without you, I'd be buried in nothing but work with no second thoughts, so thank you for appreciating my artistic outlet. You should know that I'll be making a PDF "book" of this story once it's fully complete (minus the A/N sections), and I'll be posting it on my Wix site for anyone who'd like to see the completed version all in one go, along with photos edited specifically for this story. Keep an eye out. With that being said, enjoy! 😊

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
Opportunity of a Lifetime**

 **Summary** : King Roland approaches Cedric about traveling to different kingdoms as a magical ambassador for the summer. In addition, he grants Sofia permission to travel with him so that she can gain more magical experience and continue her role as Cedric's apprentice.

* * *

Enchancia had not changed much in the last two years. Ever the steadfast kingdom, everything operated smoothly: from village business to trade exports and imports, and of course everything in between. And while the kingdom itself had hardly changed, the same could not be said for some of its inhabitants.

James now attended Chivalry Hall and was pursuing his desired career as a knight. Now fifteen years old, he stood a little taller and had a leaner frame. He'd lost much of his "baby fat," as Amber teasingly called it, making the prince appear more like the teen he was rather than the boy he used to be. His blonde hair remained the same though, as it was a style he didn't deem necessary to abandon. When he wasn't donning knight armor in practice, he could be seen in dark olive outfits reminiscent to what he once preferred when he was younger. Perhaps the most changed thing for James was his steadily altering voice, which was slowly becoming warmer and richer as the years passed. At first, he'd hated the change, but over time he got more and more used to it.

James's twin, Amber, now dubbed the heir to the throne, attended Ever Realm Academy as she'd always dreamed of doing. It was in that particular school that she learned all about the role of a leader, which was appropriate for the future queen. Amber was currently just as tall as James, though she had a feeling he would surpass her in height soon enough. She styled her longer hair in a similar fashion to her birth mother: half up and half down and with waves cascading down her back. Her new tiara, gold with emeralds and diamonds fastened throughout, matched her intricate gown perfectly. The fabric caught the light, causing it to shimmer and dazzle any who saw it. Of course, the older twin had always had a flair for fashion, so it wasn't too surprising. With each new lesson and passing day, the once callous princess became more approachable and knowledgeable of her role in Enchancia, which caught the attention of plenty of her former classmates, especially her dear friend Desmond, with whom she'd formed a much stronger and deeper bond the last couple of years. In fact, there were whispers in the kingdom that perhaps the prince and princess may form something stronger than a friendship in the next few years, though she ignored the gossip for now. What she had with Desmond was sacred and pure, and she wanted to enjoy it while she could. If, however, something more came of their friendship, then so be it.

Last, but certainly not least, was Sofia, who was now fourteen. Unlike her older sister, Sofia did not wish to be a queen at all. However, she did ultimately decide to attend Ever Realm Academy with Amber in order to conduct her advanced studies, which delighted the older girl to no end. Even still, Sofia desired a life of adventure like her Aunt Tilly. Luckily for the youngest royal, being a Protector, and a rather good one at that, meant that she was able to travel more, which she thoroughly enjoyed. And, because of her role, she could continue securing her beloved Ever Realm in the process. Daily, she grew stronger and more confident in her skills, leading her to be the pride of the Protectors, especially Chrysta.

Of the three siblings, Sofia was still the shortest by a few inches, though she had admittedly grown some in the last few years. Her much longer hair was now often in a ponytail due to her adventurous nature, which suited her just fine. She'd long since given up the typical princess gowns (save for special occasions, of course) and opted instead for variations of the Protector outfits more often than not, which frustrated the blonde princess to no end. Still, Sofia dressed as she saw fit, which echoed her Protector spirit.

In addition to her studies at Ever Realm Academy, the fourteen-year-old still continued her more advanced training with Chrysta and her magic lessons with her mentor Cedric the Sensational/Great. (She liked to call him by both her title for him and her father's title, because, in her opinion, they both suited him very well.) In fact, she'd hinted on more than one occasion that she'd be thrilled to become a full-fledged sorceress someday, though she had to wonder if it was even possible. The Amulet of Avalor and Protector role aside, it's not like she had a magical lineage. Apparently, it was rare for a non-magical person to pursue such a career, but then again, when had Sofia _ever_ done anything _typical_? Even Cedric seemed delighted about the prospect of his apprentice following in his footsteps. What exactly would that make her anyway? A Princess/Protector/Avaloran Amulet Holder/Story Keeper/Sorceress/Adventurer? She could just imagine her résumé by the next time she graduated… Half the students her age hadn't a _clue_ the extent of what Sofia had achieved since she'd first stepped into that castle, even though everyone now knew all of her once-secret abilities, roles, and powers.

Currently, the auburn-haired princess was just starting her summer break, which meant more time to spend with her family and friends. Of course, that also meant ample time for training and magic lessons if necessary. At the moment, she was walking into the throne room, having been summoned by her father a few minutes ago. "Dad?" she asked, seeing Roland sitting on his throne and smiling mysteriously at her. "What's going on? Baileywick said you needed to talk to me."

"I do," he confirmed. "But let's wait just a minute. There's someone else I need to speak with too."

Sofia was about to ask what he meant when she saw Cedric entering the room, stopping next to her. Her friend hadn't changed at all in the last two years, which was something of a comfort to her. Cedric was a constant in her life, and with the changes the teenaged years implied and implemented, she was grateful to have someone who _didn't_ change. "Mr. Cedric? Were you summoned too?"

"You say 'summoned,'" he remarked playfully before bowing respectfully to the king, who nodded. "I say 'sassily informed by a cranky steward.'"

She giggled and nudged him before turning toward her father, who cleared his throat.

"I'm glad both of you are here," the king stated sincerely. "Cedric… Your sister is still staying with us for the foreseeable future, correct?"

In fact, Cordelia and Calista had moved back into the castle a few months ago, having left from their previous extended stay over a year ago. However, for whatever reason, the castle where Cedric's sister and niece had been staying had become absolutely desolate and unsafe to inhabit, so they now permanently resided in the castle…or at least for the time being, anyway. Then again, it didn't seem as though anyone was in any hurry to rush the two sorceresses away.

"I apologize for anything she said or did, Your Majesty," Cedric professed with a shake of his head. "Cordy can be a bit of a handful sometimes…"

"It's not that, Cedric. I have plans for you this summer." He stood and walked down the steps, stopping before the two friends, who appeared both curious and baffled at the same time. "There's something other kingdoms have been practicing for a long time, and I think it's time we began the same here in Enchancia. I'd like you to act as our Magical Ambassador and travel around to neighboring kingdoms this summer. It would be great for royal networking and for you as well."

Sofia frowned as Cedric practically gaped at the king.

"Y-You want _me_ to represent Enchancia, King Roland?" Cedric asked in shock.

"Well, sure. Cordelia could step in as Royal Sorceress while you're gone, and it would give you a chance to get away from here for a while. You could travel and see the world while also performing the job you enjoy." Roland smiled as he noticed Sofia lowering her head in apparent dismay. "And of course, it couldn't hurt to take your _apprentice_ with you, seeing as she's home for the summer."

Sofia lit up at the mentioning. She slowly began to smile. "Really, Dad?"

"Absolutely. If Cedric agrees, of course."

Cedric was at a loss for words. _Him_? An ambassador? Representative for Enchancia? It was almost impossible to believe, but… "I… I would be honored, Your Majesty." He then smiled down toward the teen, who had grasped onto his robe sleeve to get his attention. "And I'd be even more honored if my apprentice would accompany me. We always work rather well together, so I have no qualms about the dear princess coming along."

She beamed at her friend's words. "Really, Mr. Cedric?"

He nodded. "I can't think of a better traveling companion than you, Sofia." He chuckled as she briskly hugged him, something she still did on occasion but decidedly less often than when she was younger. He had to admit, he'd missed those hugs she'd once commonly offered. Pleased with her reaction, he gently returned the hug before glancing up toward the king. "I believe you now have a representative team, King Roland."

Roland smiled and folded his arms. "I figured as much," he remarked, chuckling. "I'll arrange your schedule and a flying coach to take you where you need to go, and you can leave at the end of this week."

"Actually, Dad," Sofia began as she turned toward the king, "since we're going to be gone the next few months, maybe we could take Mr. Cedric's new invention he's been working on."

Cedric gave the girl a reproachful look.

"A new invention?" Roland tilted his head.

"Yes," the sorcerer admitted reluctantly with a sigh. "I call it the AutoCoach. It does all the work of a flying coach, sans driver, of course. It can be magically programmed to guide us where we need to go."

"Oh!" The king smiled happily. "Well, then, by all means—take it. As long as it's safe, of course."

Cedric nodded quickly. "Oh, yes, Your Majesty. It's quite safe. This will be its maiden voyage, so to speak."

"All right. I'll just get your schedule written up and have it delivered to your workshop later tonight, Cedric. Sofia." He smiled down toward his daughter. "See you at supper?"

"Absolutely." She grinned and hugged him. "This is going to be the best summer ever!"

Roland chuckled and returned her hug. "It's definitely an opportunity of a lifetime. Not many get to go on this type of adventure, and certainly not for so long." He glanced toward his childhood friend. "I trust you'll take care of her, Cedric."

Cedric nodded seriously and smiled as the girl turned to look at him. "With my life, sire."

To be continued…


	2. Helvetica or Bust

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Join Cedric and Sofia as they journey to their first stop: Helvetica. You know what that means! 😉 Onward we go to meet up with Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and Sapphire! (By the way, as we were never officially given Calista's age, I'm hypothesizing in this story. The last time we saw her, she appeared to be approximately nine years old, so I'm just upping her age two years. Lol. Oh, and for those who are familiar with the Helvetian family, you'll recall that their story tended to take place more in the future than the other stories I wrote. Everyone is now on the same timeline. :D)

* * *

 **Chapter 2  
Helvetica or Bust**

 **Summary** : Cedric and Sofia start off their travels in the familiar Kingdom of Helvetica, where they encounter Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and a two-year-old Sapphire.

* * *

The next few days were a blur to Cedric and Sofia. While the princess spent her time packing and hanging out with her siblings those last precious hours (since she wouldn't see them for a few months), Cedric was determined to help his own sister prepare for her role as the temporary Royal Sorceress of Enchancia. To his annoyance, she was a little _too_ enthusiastic about taking over his job.

"And you say you'll be gone a few months?" Cordelia clarified with a grin as she watched her brother toss a few more items into one of his bags.

"I know what you're thinking, Cordy," he responded pointedly as he turned and snapped the bag shut. "I _will_ be returning after the summer is over, so don't get too comfortable in your temporary position."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Ceddy." She snickered as her daughter sat aside, looking rather glum. "My little Angel Face will miss you more than I will, though."

Calista, now eleven years old, had done some growing herself the last couple of years. Her hair had grown a bit, brushing along her back now. She had gotten slightly taller, but not enough to brag about yet. And she found herself being a bit more serious about things than she used to, especially about her studies. As she now was enrolled as a student at Hexley Hall for the upcoming term, she knew she had to stay on an educational track and not get distracted.

In addition, her best friend, a Native boy named Angel whom she'd met a few years ago, was starting to spend more and more time with her, helping her practice her spells and demonstrating some magical secrets of his own that might help influence her abilities. Similar to Amber's and Desmond's relationship, there had been a few whispers about Calista and Angel as well, though none so public as the royal teens. Of course, the friends were still young and had plenty of time to decide which direction they planned to take their relationship; however, they never corrected anyone who proclaimed, " _Aww, you two make such a cute couple_."

Still, her love and admiration for her uncle was one thing that _hadn't_ changed. She sighed as she gave Cedric a sad look. "Are you really going to be gone for the _whole summer_?"

"I'm afraid so, Calista," he lamented with a dramatic sigh before sliding onto a stool next to her. "But I promise, you and I will spend some quality time together when I return. Just you and me."

She smiled thoughtfully. "Do you promise?"

"Sorcerer's Honor." He held out his pinky finger to her, chuckling as she linked her own with his. "There, now. It's a promise."

The young sorceress giggled before happily hugging her uncle. "I'll miss you."

Cedric exchanged glances with Cordelia, whose arms were folded and whose features were content, a small smile playing on her lips. Cedric kissed the crown of the girl's head before whispering to her, "I'll miss you too, Calista."

* * *

The day of departure came faster than they'd expected, and it was time to head out for their first assignment: the Kingdom of Helvetica. Meanwhile, Clover had been left in Calista's care for the duration of the summer, and Cedric had instructed Cordelia to keep an eye on Wormwood, who had not quite come around since being caged during the Vor incident a few years ago. While Cedric had allowed the raven to stay in the castle, they were certainly not on the best of terms, even a few years later. Cedric had once even tried to cast the bird into the wild if he was going to act so cold-hearted and rude (to both him and others), but Wormwood had opted to stay instead, insisting that he'd just keep to himself. And for two years, he'd done just that. They rarely spoke to one another, but Cedric couldn't help still having at least a small soft spot for the wretched raven, given all that they'd been through together. Perhaps one day, they would make amends. But he didn't see that day being any time soon.

"Have we got everything?" Cedric asked for quite possibly the fifteenth time the morning he and Sofia were set to leave. They were outside the castle beside his AutoCoach, several different pieces of luggage already stored and secured in the back. The AutoCoach was exactly as it sounded: a flying coach without a driver…or any flying horses. Enhanced by magic, it was able to fly anyone to any location, no matter the weather conditions or any other hazard that would normally deter any regular flying coach. It was, perhaps, his finest invention in a few years.

"Yes, Mr. Cedric," Sofia giggled with a grin. Her poor mentor was _so_ worried that they had forgotten something, even though they'd both been over a heavily specified checklist three times now. They had their clothing, their personal essentials, their magical supplies, their emergency supplies, and their food. Anything they didn't have, one of them could easily conjure, so she wasn't sure why he was being so finicky. Actually… She had a very good idea why he was overcomplicating things. "You really think something is going to happen, don't you?"

"It's _me_ , Sofia," he replied hastily as he checked every inch of the AutoCoach, searching for imperfections or troublesome areas. "I don't exactly have the best track record for everything going _right_ , and you know it."

She shook her head and grabbed his hands, pulling him away from the coach. "Look, you've made this thing as safe as you possibly can. We've tested it all week now. It works great!" She then gestured toward the luggage. "And we have everything we could possibly need for our trip. It's all secure and ready to go." She then squeezed his hands and offered him a gentle smile. "I just wish I could say the same about you, Mr. Cedric."

Hearing those words, the sorcerer finally calmed down and sighed. "You're right, Sofia. I apologize for my anxious nature, especially now. I know very well that we are quite prepared for everything, but it's just…" He sighed and freed his hands from her grip, placing them instead on her shoulders. He had to stop himself from kneeling to speak with her—it wasn't necessary anymore. She'd grown quite a few inches in the last two years. A part of him was glad for that, but the side of him that longed for yesteryear could feel a piece of him growing sort of sad. It was still Sofia he had before him, but he'd yet to come to grips with the fact that he now had a teenager in his care rather than a young girl. "It's just… A summer-long quest is quite the extended length of time, you know? There is ample opportunity for me to mess something up."

Sofia gave him a knowing look and responded, "No, Mr. Cedric. There are plenty of opportunities for you to do something wonderful. Dad wouldn't have asked you to be the Magical Ambassador of Enchancia if he didn't believe in you."

Cedric looked away before sitting on the steps to the AutoCoach. "I don't know, Sofia…"

The princess would never understand her friend's inability to see how wonderful he was. He was a great sorcerer, and his mind was always filled with such impressive ideas. He was so willing to test new potions or spells, often for the betterment of a situation or to help others. How could he doubt himself when she'd seen so many good things come from him? She smiled softly and walked over to her friend, placing her left hand on his shoulder and using her right one to gently cup his cheek, encouraging him to look up at her. "Cheer up, Mr. Cedric. Life is so much brighter when you smile."

Finally, a soft smile formed on Cedric's face as he reached up and clasped the girl's hand. "Thank you, Sofia. You always know just what to say to cheer me up."

The girl winked playfully. "It's a gift!" She grabbed both of his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Ready?"

He chuckled, nodding. "As I'll ever be, I suppose."

* * *

The journey to Helvetica was a relatively smooth one, with the AutoCoach proving its resilience against random gusts of wind and demonstrating its more-than-capable navigating abilities. Cedric was impressed with his invention and relieved that it was working better than he'd hoped. Meanwhile, Sofia was in an "I-told-you-so mood," so when everything went according to plan, she'd just cheekily remark, "I told you it would be okay, Mr. Cedric."

* * *

Upon landing outside the Helvetian castle, the two Enchancian inhabitants exited the AutoCoach, only to be greeted by an overly-enthusiastic ball of energy.

"SOFIE! CEDDY!" a tiny toddler with her hair done up in silver ponytails called excitedly as she hurried over and immediately clamped onto Cedric's legs, presenting him with the tightest hug her little arms could muster.

Cedric chuckled at the little girl and lowered to pick her up, resting her against his side. "Hello to you too, little Sapphire."

Sapphire, the daughter of Sir Finlay and Gabriella of Helvetica, had certainly grown a great deal in the last couple of years. Now two years old, she was an average toddler height, her wavy silver hair was long enough to put into ponytails that brushed her shoulders, and her sapphire eyes glimmered in excitement whenever she saw something that fascinated her. Over the course of the past few years, Cedric and Sofia had met up with the family several times, and during those times the little girl's vocabulary had gotten a little more extensive. She loved seeing Cedric and Sofia so much, and she always lit up like a Wassailia tree when she encountered them.

Sir Finlay and Gabriella, looking much the same as always, approached the two Enchancian friends with amused smiles on their faces.

"I'm thrilled to see you both made it safely," Sir Finlay told them kindly. He reached out and grasped Sofia's hand, gently kissing it, causing her to laugh softly. He then reached out to Cedric's free hand and shook it. "I trust the journey here was smooth?"

"Like you wouldn't believe, Sir Finlay," Sofia gushed. "Mr. Cedric invented something called an AutoCoach, and it's probably going to be my new favorite way of traveling."

Cedric smiled sheepishly as Sapphire rested her head against his shoulder. "Sofia…"

"I'm glad to see her taking to you so well, Cedric," Gabriella chuckled. "You want to take her with you guys on your travels?"

"She'd probably enjoy that, wouldn't you, Nugget?" Sir Finlay smiled and caressed his daughter's cheek, eliciting a giggle from her. "Come, we have much to discuss. King Roland was in contact with King Cyprus and explained everything we needed to know. I was wondering when one or both of you would take on the roles of Magical Ambassadors."

"To be frank," Cedric began as he and Sofia followed the couple toward the castle entrance, "it's not exactly anything I saw coming. King Roland sort of blindsided me with this. Not that I'm not grateful, but…it was rather unexpected."

"Aren't kings just silly and unpredictable sometimes?" Gabriella quipped, smiling playfully toward Sofia. "No offense to your dad, Princess. Just saying."

Sofia laughed. "No, you're right. Dad can be kind of…interesting sometimes." She grinned as Cedric winced when Sapphire began tugging curiously on his bangs. "You want me to hold her for a while, Mr. Cedric?"

"Are you certain, Sofia? Your hair is much longer than mine, you know." He winced again as Sapphire tugged sharply on his hair once more.

"It's fine. I'm probably more used to it than you are." She smiled as he pried the little girl from his hair and handed her over to the princess, who gently cradled the spirited toddler. "Hi, Sapphire!"

Sapphire beamed and happily hugged the auburn-haired teen. "Sofie!" She was still having trouble saying their proper names, but neither really seemed to care. Even some denomination of their names suited them fine.

Sofia giggled at the reaction before looking up toward the little girl's parents. "So, what exactly did you guys have in mind for our first quest?"

"You'll see," Sir Finlay assured her with a mysterious smile.

* * *

The group of friends traipsed through the castle and toward the lower-level workshop, where Sir Finlay conducted all of his experiments and practiced his magic. The room itself hadn't really changed much over the years, though there were a few more baby toys scattered about the workshop. Cedric and Sofia assumed said toys belonged to Sapphire, of course.

"Gabby, would you take Sapphire, please?" Sir Finlay asked his wife, who nodded and scooped her daughter from Sofia's hold. "I'm quite sure it's time for her nap anyway."

"No sleepy," Sapphire argued tiredly with a yawn before resting her head against her mother's shoulder. "Papa…"

The silver-haired sorcerer chuckled and kissed his little girl's forehead. "You might have fooled me, little one. You need your rest. Say good night to Cedric and Princess Sofia."

The toddler grinned toward the Enchancian duo. "Night, Ceddy. Night, Sofie."

Gabriella rolled her eyes at the cute display before laughing. "All right, you little ham. Let's get you to bed. I'll see you guys later." With that, she turned and left through another door, leading to their adjoining bedrooms.

"What sort of 'Magical Ambassador' information are we supposed to obtain here?" Cedric wondered as he and Sofia sat down next to each other, across from the older sorcerer. "I know King Roland's list suggested beginning here, but I'm not certain just what all this entails, to be honest."

Sir Finlay chuckled. "So, you took on a quest without knowing all the details? Cedric…"

"You _know_ I'm not going to say 'no' to King Roland. I'm trying _not_ to get locked up again, thank you."

"That wouldn't happen, Mr. Cedric," Sofia assured him. "I'd make sure of that. Besides, he wouldn't lock you up for not wanting to be an ambassador. That would be stupid."

Cedric shrugged. "I'm just trying to be on the safe side, my dear."

Sir Finlay smiled patiently. "Well, regardless, I've got some information that will help you both out. I've been a Magical Ambassador myself for quite a number of years, and I feel it's best to start you both off with the essentials." He picked up his wand and waved it twice, once for each visitor, and watched as two leather-bound journals landed before them. "Unclasp the hold and open your journals to the first page," he instructed.

The friends did as told, surprised to see rather fancy lettering sparkling on the paper.

"I made these myself, as a way to help out all future ambassadors. As you'll see, on the first page is the table of contents."

 _Sir Finlay's Guide to Magical Ambassadors_

 _Table of Contents_

 _Definition of a Magical Ambassador_

 _Expectations of a Magical Ambassador_

 _Rules_

 _Helpful Hints_

 _Kingdoms Which Participate in the Magical Ambassador Program_

 _Benefits of Being a Magical Ambassador_

 _New Developments_

Cedric flipped the page and read the definition of a Magical Ambassador out loud. "'A Magical Ambassador is a person who practices some form of light magic and has been hand-selected by a royal leader to positively represent his or her kingdom. The M.A. is generally sent on missions to other kingdoms to represent his or her home kingdom during magical events or for purposes of establishing stronger magical connections with other kingdoms.'" He looked toward Sir Finlay. "This just sounds like a fancy way of saying, 'This is a made-up title to impress upon a sorcerer to get him out of the kingdom and his tower for a while.'"

Sir Finlay laughed. "You _would_ think that, old friend. No, it's a legitimate role, given to only the highly-qualified. The fact that King Roland selected you to participate speaks highly of your status and abilities."

Sofia grinned and nudged him. "See? I told you."

He smiled toward her before turning to the next page: the expectations.

 _Expectations of a Magical Ambassador_

 _Form connections with other magic wielders._

 _Encourage magical practices in other kingdoms._

 _Report any and all usage of dark magic to the Conjuror's Board._

 _Help establish new magic wielders in their own kingdoms._

 _Promote a positive image for one's kingdom and for magic in general._

Sofia laughed. "Mr. Cedric, you've kind of done all of these so far. With number four, remember? You helped establish Dante the Delightful and his workshop a few years ago."

"Ah, yes," he recalled. "I wonder whatever became of him."

"We'll find out eventually," the princess told him, demonstrating their agenda that her father had drawn up. "Namile is on our list."

"Wonderful." He looked back at the book, carrying on reading the rules and helpful hints.

 _Rules and Helpful Hints_

 _No practicing or promoting of dark magic._

 _No engaging in political discussions with any magic wielder or non-magic wielder._

 _Never cast unapproved spells._

 _Do not discuss magical objects that are not well-known in_ _ **all**_ _magical communities._

 _Remain positive, helpful, and teachable._

"I suppose these are simple enough to follow," Cedric admitted as he continued reading.

"You'd be surprised," Sir Finlay scoffed. "I ran into a magic wielder last year—Gareth the Gallant. I'm not quite sure who bestowed _that_ title to him, but he certainly was the least 'gallant' sorcerer I've ever met. He was overly arrogant and always spoke his mind about how corrupt the magical world and the royal kingdoms were, which led to more than one confrontation. And, of course, he was always showing off his own magic, which was a horrid idea. He managed to send a little prince into a coma for a week. Needless to say, the Conjuror's Board stripped him of his title and magic and sent him off somewhere unknown."

"Wow," Sofia breathed, blinking. "Well, I promise we'll be careful, Sir Finlay. Mr. Cedric can handle all of those rules."

The Enchancian sorcerer smiled at his apprentice. "Thanks, Sofia."

Several kingdoms were mentioned as being participants in the MAP (Magical Ambassador Program): Helvetica, Namile, Enchancia, and many more. According to Sir Finlay's work, the benefits of being a Magical Ambassador included magic enhancement, networking connections, promotions, etc. And for the new developments, the journal simply stated that more kingdoms were being added into the program, and magic was getting a better recognition and reputation than ever before.

"When do you do your Magical Ambassador traveling, Sir Finlay?" Sofia asked curiously as she twirled some of her hair around her fingers.

"On and off throughout the year, Princess. I did a set of M.A. travels back in the spring, and I have my next one planned for late this winter. I plan to visit Khaldoun and Tangu for certain."

"Oh, I have a friend who lives in Tangu," Sofia informed him. "Prince Zandar. And three more of my friends live in Khaldoun: Princess Leena, Princess Maya, and Prince Khalid."

"I'll be certain to speak with them if I should happen to encounter them," the Helvetian sorcerer assured her with a chuckle. He turned his attention toward Cedric. "You now have the guidelines needed to be a successful Magical Ambassador. I'm honestly glad you're now a part of the team, Cedric. We could use all the help we can get." He then nodded toward the princess. "And I'm especially grateful to have a princess onboard."

She grinned at him. "Trust me, Sir Finlay… I'm much more than just a princess at this point."

"She's right," Cedric jested sardonically. "Princess, Magical Ambassador, Protector of the Ever Realm, Keeper of the Amulet of Avalor, Story Keeper, Buttercup Troop Member, Adventurer…" He smirked at the giggling girl beside him. "Did I miss anything?"

"Student at Ever Realm Academy," she added. She smiled toward a baffled Sir Finlay. "I…kind of do a lot of things now."

"I see!" He laughed. "There's certainly nothing wrong with being involved, dear girl, but I hope you aren't overwhelmed."

"I'm working on figuring out the best way to balance out everything, but it's much better now than it used to be. A few years ago, I nearly burned out from doing all of those different things."

"I'd find her passed out on her throne sometimes," Cedric added. "Since she's now a Protector—established by the Mystic Isles, no less—she is sometimes gone on missions more often than she is home."

"You've been to the Mystic Isles?" Sir Finlay asked, awed. He nodded as Sofia offered her affirmation. "Wow. Even _I_ have yet to travel there. Perhaps one of these days, when Sapphire is older." He smiled at the girl. "Do you enjoy being a Protector? I hear it's exceptionally hard work."

"It is, but it's so worth it." She folded her arms over the table and rested her head on them. "I like being able to keep my family and friends safe. I've always been like that in general, but now it's kind of like my job. And I have good people supporting me too."

"That's wonderful." Sir Finlay stood and stretched a bit before clearing his throat. "Well, then. You two must be starving by now. I've spoken with our chef and asked that he prepare some meals for us, and they should be ready any time now. We could even eat outdoors if you'd like, since it's such a nice day."

Sofia nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, to everything," she laughed.

"What of our luggage, Finlay?" Cedric wondered. "I forgot to unload it from the AutoCoach."

"Not to worry. Some of the workers have already put your luggage in your guestrooms. It will all be prepared for you when you retire for the evening."

* * *

The rest of the day went by quite normally, or as normally as can be expected for two travelers on a magical mission. They were able to spend time with Sir Finlay and his family, and they even got to meet some of the workers at the Helvetian castle. By the time night fell, the Enchancian friends were quite tired and were more than ready to get some sleep.

"I trust you will be heading out tomorrow," Sir Finlay stated before the two left. He gently rocked Sapphire, who was humming to herself and playing with his hair.

"Yes," Cedric responded with a nod. "Our next official order of business is the kingdom of Namile. It will take a while to get there though, I believe." He smiled down toward Sofia, who returned the gesture. "While we're traveling, there were a few places I'd like to show Sofia—some of the places I've seen in my travels, which I think she'll enjoy."

"Really, Mr. Cedric?" the princess asked curiously. "Like what?"

"You'll see."

"We'll see you both at breakfast in the morning then," Sir Finlay declared with a chuckle. "Do sleep well." He turned toward his daughter, who grinned at him. "Come along then, Nugget. Your mother is already in bed. It's time you do the same." He playfully kissed her nose, causing her to giggle. He smiled toward the other two. "Pleasant dreams, my friends." With that, he walked off.

Sofia glanced at the remaining sorcerer and smiled gently, reaching out a hand to him.

Cedric chuckled and took her hand, walking with her upstairs toward their guestrooms.

Once they arrived at their rooms, which were across the hallway from each other, Sofia gave her friend a hug. "Good night, Mr. Cedric. I'll see you in the morning."

He returned the hug and nodded. "Sleep well, Sofia." He turned and entered his room, shutting the door behind him.

Sofia gasped upon feeling a familiar sensation on her wrist, so she activated her Enchantlet, blinking as she saw Chrysta's face appear before her. "Chrysta? What's wrong?"

"Eh, just an investigation I'd like you to do for me," the other Protector said with a shrug. "But you look kind of tired right now, so it can wait for now. Can you come to the Mystic Isles tomorrow?"

"Um, well…" She glanced around before entering her room, shutting the door behind her. "I'm kind of on a trip with Mr. Cedric right now."

"Oh! Well, when will you be back?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Um… When school starts?"

"What?!" Chrysta gaped at her former trainee. "Sofia, what in the Ever Realm are you two doing?"

"We're Magical Ambassadors now… Well, technically, Mr. Cedric is. Dad sent me along to work with him and help him out. We travel around, helping other kingdoms with magic and forming networking connections for Mr. Cedric. All kinds of good stuff." She walked over and sat on the bed. "But you never did tell me what you needed."

She sighed. "Well, it kind of can't wait a few months, so I guess you're just going to have to bring the sorcerer with you." She frowned, growing more serious. "There's something weird going on in the Isle of Mermaids, and I'd like you to investigate. I'll explain more when you get here."

"But what about Mr. Cedric?"

She smirked. "Take him along for the ride. Maybe he'll be able to help."

"Oh, sure! Okay, I'll tell him tomorrow, and we can start heading that way. He invented something called an AutoCoach, which I'm pretty sure can be used to get up there."

"Sounds good. Get some sleep, Princess. See you tomorrow." With that, she shut off the connection.

Sofia sighed and collapsed onto the bed. She wasn't sure how Cedric would react to her sudden need to conduct a Protector quest. He'd gotten more used to the idea the last few years, but he still worried every bit about her on those trips as her own family did. Sometimes, she realized that he actually worried _more_. He really did look out for her… "Guess I'll have to tell him either way."

Pushing the thought aside, she got dressed for bed and braided her hair for the evening before sinking under the covers and falling asleep.

To be continued…


	3. A Sea of Confusion

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Yay! Cedric _finally_ gets to travel to the Mystic Isles with Sofia! It's a dream come true for pretty much all of us. Lol. And of course, he'll officially get to talk to Chrysta in person (though I have a feeling he probably met her at the party at the end of "Forever Royal"). Let's just say…these two have differing opinions on quite a few things, especially on Sofia. 😉 And _that_ will all blow up in chapter five! :D

* * *

 **Chapter 3  
A Sea of Confusion**

 **Summary:** **Summary: After being summoned to investigate a rumored magical deficiency in the Isle of Mermaids, Sofia and Cedric travel to the Mystic Isles to see what's going on.**

* * *

The next morning, after packing up their luggage and loading the AutoCoach, Sofia and Cedric got to spend about an hour with Sir Finlay and his family, eating breakfast outside under a cherry blossom tree and chatting. It was nice to just sit down and enjoy their friends' company for a while, even though they knew that it wouldn't last much longer. Still, any time was better than no time at all.

"Where are you heading to next?" Sir Finlay asked as he spoon fed some small portions of his own breakfast to Sapphire, who hummed happily. Evidently, the little girl loved food.

"The Mystic Isles," Sofia responded honestly.

"Wait, what?" Cedric asked, baffled by her reply. "Why in Merlin's name would we go there? We're supposed to be…" He frowned as he saw his apprentice's expression change to one of guilt. "Sofia…"

"Chrysta contacted me last night," she told him. "She needs my help investigating something going on in the Isle of Mermaids."

"Don't they have like a hundred Protectors up there? And you're the Protector of the _Ever Realm_ , are you not? As in, here, around our kingdoms? Why should she need you conducting an investigation in the Mystic Isles, of all places?"

"Maybe she just needs my help. She's still my trainer, after all, even if I don't exactly 'train' as often these days."

Gabriella watched the exchange between the two friends before smirking. "I don't know why you're complaining, Cedric," she finally stated pointedly, getting his attention. "All you sorcerers always want to visit the Mystic Isles, and now you finally get a chance, and you're upset about it?"

"It's not that, Mrs. Gabriella," he insisted. "I'm just keen on keeping my apprentice safe and sticking to our agenda, established by her father." He sighed. "Besides, I don't think that fairy likes me very much anyway."

Sofia giggled. "Chrysta is a Crystal Fairy, Mr. Cedric. Not the same as other fairies, and she'll remind you of it any time you get it wrong."

He rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. I'd just rather not veer from our path, but if you _must_ go…" He shrugged. "I suppose I can't stop you."

"And you're coming with me, so it's not like I'm going to be out of your sight," she laughed. "It's going to be fine!"

"Every time you say that, another villain pops up," he mumbled with his arms folded. "I'd rather not jinx us, Sofia."

She shrugged. "Fine." She scooted closer to him on the bench they were sharing and nudged him gently, leaning her head against his arm and blinking a few times, offering him her sweetest smile. "Forgive me?"

He smiled and shook his head, wrapping his arm around her. "Nothing to forgive, I suppose."

"Are you two always this mushy?" Gabriella teased, laughing. "I don't think even Finny and I act like that."

Sofia giggled as Cedric let her go. "At least he'll hug me now. When I first met him, he was always pushing me away and treating me like I had some sort of contagious illness or something." She grinned at Cedric as he scoffed.

"If I remember correctly, you were a bit too enthusiastic, rushing up and hugging someone you hardly knew, who was secretly plotting to steal your amulet and overtake your kingdom." He paused, blinking. "Yeah, that didn't really shine a positive light on me just then, did it?"

Sir Finlay chuckled. "Perhaps Princess Sofia saw something in you back then that you couldn't see in yourself yet. She's quite perceptive, after all." He glanced at his pocket watch while the two Enchancian friends exchanged amused glances. "I suppose you'd best be on your way. I'm sure the Protectors will be anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"It was good seeing you guys," Sofia told them as she stood and gave each Helvetian family member a hug, including a giggling Sapphire. "We'll see you again soon, probably after I start school again, though."

"We'll look forward to it," Gabriella told her. "Especially Sapphire."

"Sofia!" Sapphire exclaimed, shocking the others.

"She… She said my name right," Sofia gasped.

"Funny," Cedric replied, chuckling and folding his arms. "I had the same reaction when _you_ finally said _my_ name right."

"Funny, Mr. Cedric." She grinned and gently cooed at the little girl a few times before walking back over to her friend. "You guys be safe, and we'll see you some time soon."

"Same to you, Princess Sofia," Sir Finlay answered. "Cedric, safe travels. Stay alert and learn a lot."

The formalities and farewells finished, Sofia and Cedric double checked the AutoCoach to make sure they had everything before taking off.

* * *

Cedric was able to set the course for the Mystic Isles, though it did require a bit more magic to do so. By the time he was certain that the coach was on track, he was exhausted.

"Are you all right?" Sofia asked in concern, placing one hand on his shoulder, her blue eyes searching his brown ones for confirmation.

Cedric smiled and gently patted her hand. "I'm all right. It just took a bit more magic than I realized." He sighed and conjured a few pillows and a large blanket. The pillows arranged themselves behind the friends while the blanket draped over the both of them. "It couldn't hurt to get a nap in, I suppose. If my calculations are correct, it will take about an hour to get there."

Sofia was a bit surprised to hear that. With Skye, it took only a few minutes. Maybe since the AutoCoach was an Ever Realm invention, it took longer? Or maybe it was because Helvetica was farther away from Enchancia, which accounted for the time? She ultimately forfeited her attempt to rationalize everything and settled back against her pillows. "I guess a nap might be a good idea," she agreed.

"Hmm. Sleep well, Sofia." Still drained from the magic loss, Cedric leaned against his own pillows and was instantly asleep.

Sofia watched him for a few minutes, pondering over some things. He hadn't put up much resistance when it came to traveling to the Mystic Isles, at her behest. She found that admirable. Of course, she knew he'd always talked about taking her in the past, and now they would finally get to go together. It was, in its own way, a 'dream come true.' She smiled softly before closing her eyes, feeling sleep overtake her as the AutoCoach flew onward.

* * *

Sofia jolted awake with a startled gasp when she felt the AutoCoach touch down, signifying that they'd apparently stopped. She glanced out the windows and lit up, recognizing the beautiful scenery of the Mystic Isles. She reached over and shook her mentor, who jumped at her action. "Mr. Cedric, wake up! We're here!"

"Okay, calm down," he murmured, yawning with one hand over his mouth. He then blinked his sleepy eyes and gasped, surprised. "Wait, did you say…?" He jumped up and instantly regretted it as he whacked his head against the low ceiling of the AutoCoach. "Ow…" He sat down and looked out the window, gasping at the sight. "Wow… I knew from the paintings I'd seen that the Mystic Isles were beautiful, but this is simply breathtaking."

"Just wait until we get _outside_ ," Sofia teased as she pushed the door open, stepping down the ladder and jumping onto the ground.

Cedric followed his apprentice as she began leading him in the direction she deemed correct. "Sofia, do you know where we're going?"

"Of course. I come here all the time."

He still couldn't fathom that. Of course he knew about her Protector role by now, but actually seeing her in action in a land that she now considered second nature was going to take some getting used to.

While they walked, Cedric took in all the sights around him. He was fascinated by the colorful clouds and landforms in the distance. There seemed to be magical creatures and items everywhere he looked, which made him feel at ease for some strange reason. Perhaps it was his sorcerer heritage or something. Regardless, while it was new to him personally, it still felt so familiar. It was certainly a feeling he could get used to.

After a brief explanation from Sofia, Cedric discovered that they were on a section of the isles called the Isle of the Protectors. "And I'm assuming this is where the Protectors stay?" he confirmed.

Sofia nodded. "Pretty much. The Protectors of the Mystic Isles anyway." She smiled and grabbed his hand, tugging him along. "Hurry! Chrysta doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"I figured as much when your sister informed us that she's the reason you were whisked away before your graduation even happened two years ago." He rolled his eyes. He'd heard all about Sofia's trainer's impatience, attitude, and sarcastic wit by now. He had already formed an opinion of the Crystal Fairy based on how much danger she'd allowed his apprentice to face predominantly on her own, and if he had his way, they'd definitely be having _a talk_ before they left for their next destination.

They didn't have to travel far before the red-clad Protector landed before them, her hands on her hips. Like most other adults around, Chrysta hadn't changed a bit in the last two years. She did look a little ragged at the moment, presumably from working, but other than that, she was the same. "Took ya long enough," she remarked toward the younger girl, smirking.

"Sorry," Sofia giggled. "We had to eat first, and traveling here without a unicorn isn't exactly quick. Oh, Chrysta, I want you to finally _officially_ meet my mentor and one of my best friends, _and_ our Royal Sorcerer: Mr. Cedric. He's the one who's trained me in magic all these years."

"Ah, yes," she remarked with a grin. "You're the one who had everyone circle up and used that spell to save Sofia. That was pretty impressive."

Cedric blinked. Well, there's a compliment he hadn't been expecting. "Oh, thank you… But really, I'd do anything to help Sofia. She's gone above and beyond to help me in the past. I owed it to her." He gave his friend a gentle look. "Life wouldn't be the same without Sofia."

Sofia smiled shyly, clasping her hands behind her back.

Chrysta smirked at the other Protector's reaction before rolling her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you're here too then, Cedric. We could use all the help we can get." She beckoned them forward and floated ahead of them as they followed her. "All right, so the reason I called you here, Sofia, deals with the Isle of Mermaids."

"Are they okay?" the teen asked in concern.

"Well, define 'okay.' They're healthy and thriving right now, but the magic is depleting over there."

"How do you know?" Cedric wondered.

"The mermaids all have a magical item each, similar to your friend Oona, Sofia."

Cedric clammed up the moment the little blonde mermaid's name was mentioned. Years ago, when Sofia was still considered a pest in his eyes, he'd tried to steal the mermaid princess's enchanted comb when the Enchancian princess interfered and stopped him. It had later startled him how far he had been willing to go that one time to get what he wanted, even at the risk of harming someone he now considered his closest friend. He wasn't necessarily surprised that he still remembered the girl's name. It hadn't exactly been a shining moment in his life.

Chrysta continued her explanation, not having noticed Cedric's reaction, "Some have necklaces, some have rings, some have barrettes… But everyone has _something_."

"What about that Protector mermaid I met a few years ago?" Sofia wondered. "Nerissa?"

"She has her Enchantlet, which _is_ her magical item." Chrysta stopped flying and turned midair, causing the other two to pause. "The magical items are suddenly becoming…normal. Like, there's no magic left in many of them. We need to figure out why. Which is where you two come in."

"Hold on a minute," Cedric finally said, folding his arms. "How did I get dragged into this?"

"I'm assuming Sofia," the Crystal Fairy retaliated, smirking. "I _literally_ saw her dragging you along through the isle. I'm not one to say things like this, but that was just plain adorable." She laughed as the other two blushed. "It's pretty obvious how close you two are. Sofia always tells me that you work as a 'team' or something like that." She hovered a bit higher. "I'm starting to see what she was talking about."

"Anyway," Sofia insisted, trying to steer the conversation back on topic, "if we find the source of the magic depletion, what do we do?"

"Alert Orion and Vega—or me, for that matter. We'll determine what to do from there."

"And you aren't able to conduct this mission yourself, because…?" Cedric frowned curiously.

She scoffed. "Look, sorcerer, I know you don't know me that well, but let me lay this out for you. I'm a Protector of the Mystic Isles—as in the whole, entire realm. I've already got plenty of things I'm working on. Sofia hadn't reported any misdeeds in the Ever Realm recently, so I figured she could be recruited for help. I didn't realize she came with a tagalong."

And there it was: the attitude he'd heard all about. Cedric wasn't sure if he and this particular Protector would be able to get along, but so far, they weren't off to a great start. Sure, she'd complimented him earlier, but now things were turning for whatever reason. "Well, this 'tagalong' is up for any challenge. If Sofia needs help, I'm glad to assist."

Sofia smiled pleasantly toward her mentor. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric." Then she turned back to her trainer. "Chrysta, Mr. Cedric and I will investigate and see what we can find. There's got to be a good reason for the magic disappearing from the mermaids' items. We'll let you know what happens." She looked around. "Where is Skye?"

"Beats me. I saw him yesterday though, chatting with the Mare of the Mist, who for whatever reason didn't get all flighty and take off the moment he neared her. Now, _that_ was cute." She giggled. "I think he has a little crush." She waved as she took off. "Later, guys! Let me know how it goes!" With that, she was gone.

Cedric frowned and placed his hands on his hips. "She is quite possibly _the_ least helpful 'trainer' I've ever met in my life. Did she often leave you to your own devices?"

"Surprisingly, no. She used to practically hover over me to make sure I didn't mess anything up. And she also used to go on a lot of the adventures with me." She shrugged. "I guess since I'm fourteen now, she figures I can handle it on my own." She then winked at him. "Plus, I've got you, Mr. Cedric."

He hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, true."

"But we've got to get to the Isle of Mermaids, and there's no way we're getting there without a ride." She glanced down and grasped her amulet. "Well… I guess this is worth a try." She closed her eyes as she felt the jewel begin to warm up. "I wish Skye would come to me and Mr. Cedric."

Cedric had seen the amulet's newer powers and abilities in action far more often in the last two years since Sofia finally revealed all of her secrets to him and her family. However, even for all the studying he'd once done on the elusive gem, he _never_ would have imagined that it would offer so many different wishes. He knew about the blessing or curse aspect, but then he had to wonder if that was something only done with Princess Elena trapped inside. Still so many questions… But regardless, that amulet had come in handy on many occasions, and he was glad his friend had finally mastered it.

Before long, a white unicorn with a light blue mane and tale appeared, landing next to the two friends. He smiled and bowed respectfully to the young Protector. "What a delight to see you again, Princess Sofia!" he greeted pleasantly as the girl giggled.

"Hi, Skye! Sorry it's been a few weeks since I've seen you. Final exams were sort of brutal."

The unicorn chuckled. "I know not of these 'final exams,' my princess, but I can only imagine that they were, indeed, troublesome." He glanced toward Cedric beside her. "Oh! I recognize you. You are the noble sorcerer who rescued our dear princess a few years ago." He smiled happily. "You have my eternal gratitude, kind sir. Princess Sofia is lucky to have a friend like you."

Cedric smiled. Now, _that_ was more like it. He hadn't always been much of a fan of unicorns or anything, but this one may very well change his mind. "Thank you… Um… Sorry, what was your name again?"

"I am Skye, Princess Sofia's noble steed in the Mystic Isles. My alternating partner, Minimus, is her noble steed in the Ever Realm. Perhaps you know him better than I."

The sorcerer blinked. "Sure…"

Sofia gently grasped the unicorn's mane, getting his attention. "Skye, can you take us to the Isle of Mermaids? Chrysta said there's a magic depletion there, so Mr. Cedric and I are here to investigate."

"Certainly! Both of you climb on my back, and I will be happy to take you to the Isle of Mermaids."

Sofia hopped on without hesitation, but she laughed as she saw Cedric's uncertain look. "It's just like riding a horse, Mr. Cedric."

He made a face. "Yes, well, the last horse I rode threw me off, so…" He yelped as Sofia grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto Skye's back, directly seated behind her. "I was getting there myself."

She grinned at him over her shoulder. " _Sure_ you were." She turned back toward the unicorn. "Let's go, Skye!"

* * *

The Isle of Mermaids was even more beautiful than the Isle of Protectors, in Cedric's opinion. Its majestic landforms and plentiful waterfalls alone were lovely, not to mention the numerous exotic plants that seemed to only grow on that isle (and certainly not in the Ever Realm). Then, of course, there were the mermaids themselves, all of whom seemed rather haggard and didn't appear to be very happy.

"They seem so sad," Sofia noted as Skye landed next to a tree, allowing them to dismount from his back. "I guess the lack of magic has really upset them."

"I suppose that would be like me without my wand," the sorcerer reasoned. "I'd be upset too."

Sofia nodded and then began walking down to the water, aiming to speak with some of the mermaids. She blinked when Cedric grasped her wrist, holding her back. "Mr. Cedric?"

"You're not actually going to _talk_ to them, are you?"

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Aren't you aware of how deceptive mermaids can be? You've never heard the stories of them luring sailors into the water—into a watery grave, more like?"

That wasn't necessarily a connection Sofia wanted to make, especially since her birth father had been a sailor himself. She gently pulled her wrist from his hand. "Mr. Cedric, it's fine. All the mermaids I've met so far have been pretty nice. If anything, I'll steer away from sea monsters." She scoffed and continued onward.

Okay, that one, he deserved, and she wasn't even aware of his role as the suggested 'sea monster' all those years ago. Thankfully. He didn't know how she would react had he told her about that, because even with their strong friendship, the fact remained that he'd really been about to hurt her that one time… He despised the person he used to be, and he was grateful he'd undergone a huge change since then. Still, maybe some things were better left unspoken. This was one of those 'things.' Silently, he followed the princess onward.

"Hi," Sofia greeted happily as she saw a brown-haired mermaid with a pink tail and top swimming next to the bank. "I'm Sofia."

"I know about you," the young mermaid responded with a soft smile. "You're one of the newer Protectors. They say that you're very strong, despite your age—that you defeated the evil Vor."

"Yeah, that's me," the princess laughed. "I'm here to help you guys, along with my friend Mr. Cedric." She gestured toward the uncertain sorcerer. "He's our royal sorcerer, so he can probably help too. Chrysta told me that there seems to be a magic depletion around your isle."

"Yes. It started about a week ago, when a lot of the mermaids' magical items began malfunctioning. Eventually, they just stopped being magical, if that's even possible."

"Oh, it is," Cedric stated honestly. "Especially if there's a stronger object counteracting or absorbing the magic from the items."

"Has there been anything out of the ordinary that's shown up around here recently?" Sofia gestured vaguely. "Maybe a new plant that seemed to grow overnight, or a meteor shower that wasn't expected?"

The mermaid frowned. "Now that you mention it, some strange crystal no one has ever seen before popped up in one of the caves under the water. No one paid much attention to it at first, and now…" She shrugged. "Well, we don't remember which one the crystal was in, and there are so many caves down there…"

Sofia turned to Cedric. "Could any type of crystal be responsible for draining magic?"

"Only one type I can think of. Imbibing Crystals."

The princess tilted her head. "I've never heard of those."

"They're rare," he admitted. "Many dark magic wielders would use them to withdraw magic from people or objects that contain it. Granted, I'm not entirely sure if it's a malevolent magic wielder we're dealing with or not."

Sofia grinned and grasped her amulet, which was already beginning to glow. "Only one way to find out." She glanced toward Skye. "We'll be back soon."

He nodded. "Yes, my princess."

Cedric blinked. "What do you mean, 'we?'" he managed before Sofia grabbed his hand with her free one, pulling him down to the ground beside her.

"We wish to be merpeople!"

Sofia transformed into her usual mermaid disguise, her hair now loose and scattered behind her in the grass. She giggled as she saw Cedric's transformation.

He had a dark purple tail now…and that was pretty much it. And he was so flushed in embarrassment that his normally pale skin was a deep shade of pink. Cedric thankfully still had his wand, so he pointed it at himself, muttering a spell to create a water-resistant robe similar to his normal one, which wrapped around his upper half. He sighed in relief.

"I didn't realize you were so modest, Mr. Cedric," Sofia teased, sliding into the water and grinning at him as the other mermaid from earlier swam away.

"You are a cheeky little princess, you know that?" He tightened the tie around his waist, huffing. "There's a good reason I don't go to places like this. I burn like a lobster on a bad day."

Sofia laughed, shaking her head. "What does that even _mean_?"

"Never mind. Let's just get this over with."

The princess smiled and rolled her eyes before ducking under the water, thrilled to find that, once again, she could breathe and see clearly beneath the crystal-clear water. She reached up and took Cedric's hand, pulling him under as well, before beginning to swim.

Cedric was struggling to get used to the new action, especially since he had never really taken to swimming when he was younger. "I feel like a fish out of water." The watery giggle beside him made him pout.

"I'm loving all the 'fish puns,' Mr. Cedric. If you're really concerned, just stay close to me. I've been a mermaid a lot of times on missions."

"I don't know whether to be stunned or impressed at this rate," he admitted, rolling his eyes.

She grinned, nudging him playfully. "You could be both. Race ya!" With that, she zoomed off through the water, leaving nothing but a trail of bubbles behind her.

"No fair! Wait for me!" Still flailing like an awkward toddler taking his first steps, Cedric finally found some form of 'momentum' and took off after his apprentice.

* * *

There were probably fifty caves beneath the water, and every single one of them was dark within. The two friends knew they'd have to split up in order to locate the supposed crystal—if it even still existed, that was. They could just be going on a wild goose chase, which would end in no results. Still, they had a lead, so they had to try.

"I'll take the caves to the west," Cedric informed the teen beside him. "You take the eastern caves. If you find anything, just yell for me. I'll do the same."

"Right. Be careful, Mr. Cedric." She smiled at him before swimming off.

"You too, Sofia," he said to himself before swimming in the other direction.

* * *

Nearly an hour they searched, and nothing turned up. Each was down to the last cave, and surely something malicious enough to have stolen magic from the mermaids couldn't be in the _last cave_ one of them searched. That would be cruel irony, almost.

And yet…

"Mr. Cedric!" Sofia called, her voice echoing throughout the cave she currently inhabited. "I found it!" She paused, not hearing any response. She frowned, grasping her amulet. "Fine, we'll try this my way. I wish Mr. Cedric was beside me right now." She laughed triumphantly as her mentor suddenly appeared next to her, seeming rather baffled. "It worked!"

"Ugh, _that_ was a head rush," he complained, holding his hands to his temples. "Warn me next time before you do that, huh?"

"I tried calling for you, but you didn't seem to hear me." She gestured before her at her discovery. "Look."

Cedric looked down at a glowing red crystal, which seemed to be emitting some strange glow. "That's an Imbibing Crystal, all right. And…" He grabbed the girl's hand, steering her away from it. "Don't get too close, Sofia. It absorbs magic, and the last thing you want is it taking the magic away from the Amulet of Avalor."

"Right… So how do we get rid of it?"

"There's a spell to do it. I just wish I could remember the right words… They were fairly simple, if I recall correctly." He tapped his wand to his shoulder, thinking hard about the spell he needed. He then lit up. "I remember!" He pointed the wand at the crystal and commanded, " _Imbibo Deleo_!" He swam backwards and shoved Sofia out of the cave as the crystal began glowing immensely. "Swim!"

Sofia gasped and did as he said, swimming as if her life depended on it…which, apparently, it did. She inhaled sharply as her friend grabbed her hand and tugged her along swiftly, through the underwater plant growth and between the mountainous landforms. Eventually, she found that they were now stopped, breathing hard. "Why…did we have to swim so far and so fast?"

"If we'd remained in line of the crystal's destruction, we could have been destroyed ourselves. Better safe than sorry."

She nodded, sighing as she calmed down. "So, it's gone?" She smiled as he nodded. "Will the mermaids get their magic back?"

"I think it's time to find out. Come along."

They resurfaced, only to find that two new mermaids were sharing time on a large boulder in the middle of the water.

"Excuse me!" Sofia called out.

"Yes?" a redhead responded.

"Have your magical items not been working recently?"

The blonde mermaid beside the first one frowned, sighing. "No…" She gestured toward a bracelet on her wrist. "My grandmother gave me this when I was born, and it was supposed to create rainbows. Now all it does is…nothing."

Sofia nodded. "I understand. Give it one more try though."

"It hasn't worked in weeks," the blonde insisted.

"Please?" the Protector asked kindly, smiling gently.

"Fine…" She waved her hand once, expecting nothing yet again, but she was delighted to find that her bracelet was now able to make rainbows once more. "Ahh! It worked!"

"Really?" the redhead from before asked in shock. She grasped her necklace, grinning as her hair changed from red to purple. "Awesome!"

Sofia and Cedric exchanged glances before quietly slipping away, pulling themselves onto the bank once more.

Sofia grabbed Cedric's hand and took her amulet in her free hand. "We wish to be ourselves again."

Cedric was beyond surprised when they transformed back into themselves: him in his normal everyday attire, and Sofia in her newer Protector outfit, her now-dry hair back in its long, wavy ponytail. "All right, that's extremely useful."

"Ha, right? And people say wishing is silly." She grinned. "Ooh! We need to let Chrysta know about the crystal!" She activated her Enchantlet, calling her trainer and smiling as her familiar face appeared. "We have good news."

"Problem solved?" the other Protector asked hopefully.

"Yep! Mr. Cedric said it was an Imbibing Crystal causing the trouble. We found it and destroyed it, and now the mermaids can use their items again."

"What in the world is an Imbibing Crystal doing on the Isle of Mermaids?" The brunette shook her head. "I'll inform Orion and Vega, and they can look into it." She then smiled. "Good job, you guys. If you head back to the Isle of Protectors, I've secured a place for you to stay. It's starting to get late."

"But we've got an agenda to keep," Cedric argued softly, mostly talking to Sofia.

"Let's just stay here for the night, Mr. Cedric," she urged him. "It would probably be kind of dangerous to travel too late, right?"

He sighed, nodding. "I suppose so."

Sofia glanced back toward Chrysta, who was waiting for their reply. "We're on our way back." She lowered the Enchantlet and smiled as Skye approached them.

"To the Isle of Protectors?" the unicorn assumed as the two friends climbed onto his back.

"Yep. Let's go, Skye!"

* * *

That evening after eating, the two friends were given a small guesthouse near Chrysta's home, where they were able to retire for the night. There wasn't much to said "house." It had a table and two chairs for eating, a small kitchen with a woodstove, a washroom, and a bedroom with two single beds.

Sofia stepped out of the room to change into her nightclothes as Cedric used his wand to change into his. He wore a matching set of dark purple pajamas: pants and a top. He slid under the covers of his own bed and sighed heavily, draping the cover nearly over his head but leaving just enough space to stare out at the room and at the flickering candle between his and Sofia's beds.

Sofia walked back inside, donned in her own matching pajama set. However, hers was more lavender than dark purple and had a white bunny rabbit stitched into the right side of the fabric. Yet again, she'd braided her hair for bed and had removed her jewelry for the night, setting it aside onto the bedside table. She got into her bed and pulled the covers over herself before looking toward Cedric, who was smiling tiredly at her. She returned the smile, curious. "What is it?"

"Would you believe I actually had _fun_ today on that mission?"

She grinned and laughed. "Mr. Cedric, just stick with me, and you'll always have fun. I'll make sure of it. Life is too wonderful to stay cooped up in your tower all the time. Sometimes, you need to get out and see the world. And if you ask me to go with you in the future, I'll be more than happy to do that."

He chuckled. "I appreciate it, Sofia. Now, get some sleep. I'm sure tomorrow is going to be rather busy."

"Mr. Cedric?"

"Hmm?" He sat up and grabbed the candle, preparing to blow it out.

"Do you mind if we stay here for another day?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"Please?" She gave him a sincere look, smiling as he caved. She kind of loved that he didn't even try to fight her on things like that anymore.

"Very well. But only _one day_. Then, we really must get back on schedule, all right?"

She grinned. "Yes, Mr. Cedric. You're the best!" With that, she turned over and sank under the covers, sighing contentedly as she fell asleep.

Cedric smiled fondly at her words before blowing out the candle, placing it back onto the table between them before allowing himself to be carried away to the world of sleep once more.

To be continued…


	4. Orion's Belt

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Hey, everybody! I had a few comments from the last chapters that I'd like to address. Before anything, _thank you all so much_ for all the reviews and feedback! _You_ are making this story possible. 😊 I've said it many times before, and I mean it: I wouldn't continue to write if it weren't for you all. So, thank you again! Now, as far as the question about Cedric not turning into the sea monster as opposed to the merman: think about it for a minute. Sofia would be devastated if she discovered _that_ secret. I feel considering how completely out of control Cedric was in that episode, and how relentless and even dangerous he was, it's best if he doesn't tell her about that incident. If that's the case, that'll be the one secret he'll keep from her from here on out. But I think it would damage some part of their friendship if she found out about that; and yes, of course, honesty is the best policy, _but_ there _are_ exceptions, and I think this is one. 😊 And as for those talking about Cedric's interaction with Chrysta, they _do not_ see eye to eye. You've seen that. Lol. It's going to take a long time (realistically) before they come around. Just think how long it took for Baileywick and Cedric to start getting along. Four seasons, several specials, and a whole lot of sarcastic quips. :p lol Oh, and to Mr. Shortman92: Yes! You will see Dante and Seraphina together. 😉 As far as the question about possibly encountering Prisma… I may have plans for that in Beyond Enchancia. We'll see! With that said, off we go to chapter 4!

* * *

 **Chapter 4  
Orion's Belt**

 **Summary: Orion once had a magical belt that used to aid him in his efforts to protect the Mystic Isles. When he gets word that it may be hidden in the Isle of Unicorns, Sofia calls on Skye to assist in this new mission.**

* * *

Sofia had always been a morning person. She loved waking up early to get ready for the day, and she also enjoyed knowing that the earlier she awoke, the more time she'd have to spend with the people she cared about. However, that had been in Enchancia…

Here in the Mystic Isles, she felt quite the opposite. When the morning light of the isles rudely streamed in through the uncovered window, she found herself grumbling and yanking the covers over her head again, trying to stifle the glare. Maybe she was just exhausted from yesterday's events, but for once, she'd love nothing more than to sleep in for a change.

"I find it amusing how little you appreciate the morning now that you're older."

Sofia lowered the covers enough to stare her mentor down. "Not in the mood, Mr. Cedric."

He smirked, reclining against his pillows as he twirled his wand in one hand while holding a book in the other. He was wearing a pair of reading glasses, which rested on the ridge of his nose as his eyes scanned the words. "Yes, that seems to be happening more often, too."

"Why are you even awake? Don't you usually get up at the crack of noon?" She grinned as he scoffed, stilling his wand.

"If you must know, I was unable to sleep any more with all the mumbling you were doing in your sleep."

Sofia blinked. "What?"

"You were talking in your sleep, Sofia. I'm not sure of everything you were saying, but it seemed to have something to do with another Protector mission." He closed the book and used his wand to remove the reading glasses. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

She frowned thoughtfully. Her dreams were hazy, but she did recall riding on Skye's back and heading…somewhere. But that was a fairly typical dream to her—nothing out of the ordinary. "Sorry I woke you up," she settled on, sighing.

He smiled and shook his head. "It's quite all right, my dear. Besides, we'd better get the day started, wouldn't you say? The sooner we finish whatever tasks you have planned here, the sooner we can return to our schedule your father prepared."

Sofia grinned as she sat up, pushing the covers away. "I doubt Dad is sending guards to make sure we're perfectly following the agenda, Mr. Cedric. Now, Baileywick…" She laughed and shrugged. "Honestly, I could see that, at least more so than Dad."

Cedric snickered as Sofia moved over to her luggage, withdrawing a dark purple and maroon Protector outfit she'd recently acquired. "I suppose since we're both awake now, perhaps we should try to find some food. I'm quite sure we'll have a busy day ahead of us."

"Yeah… And by the way, thanks for agreeing to stay an extra day. It may sound kind of silly, but I just really love being here and being able to kind of…be myself for a while." She smiled uncertainly as her mentor fixed her with a curious glance.

"What do you mean, 'be yourself?' You could be yourself anywhere, Sofia."

"No, I can't," she insisted with a shake of her head. "Think about it, Mr. Cedric. I'm a Protector. It's my main focus these days, besides my role as a princess. How many people in the Ever Realm can relate to that, especially in Enchancia?"

"Well, I…" He had to admit; he couldn't necessarily argue with that reasoning. Instead of trying to counter her point, he just closed his mouth and shrugged.

She frowned, sighing as she held onto her change of clothes. "Exactly. They may _know_ I'm a Protector now, but they'll never understand what that involves. Everyone is either too busy worrying and stressing over my safety, or they're asking me a hundred questions about being a Protector. It's overwhelming sometimes. I just want to do my duties without any distractions, and I want to feel comfortable doing that, so being here just makes me feel better."

"I guess I never realized that," he acknowledged, frowning as she blinked at him. "Then again, you don't exactly make it overtly obvious how you're feeling these days, Sofia. I thought we agreed not to have secrets like that anymore."

"It's no secret, Mr. Cedric." She clutched her outfit a bit tighter, giving him a perplexed look. "I guess I just don't like showing you guys that weaker, uncertain side. It's not who I am."

"Perhaps," he acquiesced. "But it's all right _not_ to carry all that weight on your shoulders, you know. That's what your friends and family are for: to help you balance things out."

She smiled softly. "Is that true for you too, Mr. Cedric?"

"It's especially true for me," he insisted. "I'll do _anything_ to help you. I hope you know that by now."

Sofia giggled, finally releasing some of her nervous energy. "I do. And…I understand what you're saying." Noticing the continuing illumination of the morning light through their room, she sighed. "I think I'm going to go get changed. I'll meet you at Chrysta's, okay?"

Cedric nodded, sighing heavily after she left. He had no idea she still carried that burden around. Well, actually, that probably wasn't true. Sofia always tried to take things on by herself so that others wouldn't have to. She was like a living, breathing martyr, and he worried about that mentality of hers. Even after all these years, she was still trying to make things easier and better for everyone while ignoring her own wellbeing. In a way, he supposed, that was what made her such a wonderful Protector. He only wished she could relinquish some of that encumbrance and allow herself to be a normal, unaffected teenager. Maybe someday…

* * *

After the two friends had met up with Chrysta and shared breakfast together, the Mystic Isles Protector let her charge in on yet another potential task she might wish to complete while present.

"So, I know the whole mermaid thing yesterday was a bit unexpected," Chrysta began, smirking particularly at Cedric, who folded his arms and scoffed in obvious discomfort. "But I thank you guys for helping solve that problem."

"Do you know how the Imbibing Crystal may have gotten there?" Sofia wondered as she pulled her legs to her chin while sitting next to Cedric on the sofa. "The mermaid I talked to said it just appeared one day and was hiding in one of the caves, where we found it."

"I'm not sure yet. Imbibing Crystals don't just grow naturally. They're planted." The Protector and trainer frowned. "Obviously, someone put it there. Some of the investigation team is working on trying to trace an origin." She then grinned. "Meanwhile, I have another mission for you, if you're up to it."

"Does she have a choice?" Cedric asked, narrowing his eyes at the Crystal Fairy.

Sofia side-glanced her mentor. "Mr. Cedric…"

"I'm not sure what you mean by that, Cedric. She always has a choice." Chrysta frowned. "Don't get testy with me, just because I ask my former trainee for help. It's what her role as a Protector is all about: to protect, to help, to lead, to secure—"

"And can you ensure _her_ security?" he interjected, still not overly thrilled with Sofia's other friend. He had made it his goal and responsibility to keep his friend as safe as possible, especially after the whole Vor incident. Actually, ever since his redemption a few years ago, and even before then, he'd tried to keep her out of trouble or danger as best as possible. While he may not have always been on the right path himself, he did care a great deal for the girl. He wanted her to stay safe. Then again, he figured, even most 'misguided' or 'villainous' people still had _some_ moral fiber within themselves.

The Mystic Isles inhabitant rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm asking her to—you know what? Let's just…stop." She smiled, though it did appear a bit strained. "Look, Cedric. I care about Sofia as much as you do. I know you hardly know me and may find that hard to believe, but it's the truth. Take it or leave it. It's just that she has willingly taken on the role and responsibilities of being a Protector, and if I were to remove those from her or not give her the opportunity to do what she's been trained to do, then trust me. She'd probably be mad at _me_."

Sofia smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "In a way, I can see that… But it's not that I'd be mad, Chrysta. More like, I'd be frustrated, because I know I can handle the Protector business. Mr. Cedric just wants me to be safe. That's all it is."

"And so do I. I'm just not going to underestimate you, even though you're the youngest Protector we have." She winked. "You've far surpassed any of _my_ expectations for you."

Cedric sighed and shrugged, but he smiled a little when Sofia leaned over against him and looped her left arm through his right, both of her hands clasping his. Using his left hand, he gently patted her clasped hands. "Very well. I guess I'm just going to have to…allow her to be who she is, hmm?"

Sofia giggled as she glanced up at him. "You always do, Mr. Cedric."

"So, would you like to hear the mission?" Chrysta asked a bit cautiously, eyeing Cedric uncertainly.

He just smiled and rolled his eyes before vaguely gesturing toward his apprentice. "It's her decision. She's responsible enough to know what she can and cannot handle."

Sofia nodded determinedly. "Bring it on, Chrysta."

"So, Orion used to have a magical belt years ago to aid him in his duties as a Protector."

"Orion's Belt," Cedric connected, snickering. "Ironic."

"Cute, sorcerer." She did laugh, though, because of course it was sort of funny. "Anyway, he lost it on one of his missions a few years ago, though he's heard word from a few 'sources,' whoever those might be, that it may be on the Isle of Unicorns."

"How do you know?" Sofia wondered.

"The belt had a unique property to it. Whenever the sunlight hit it just right, it would cast a gold and red stream of light in the shape of a star." She twirled her braid around her fingers as she concluded, "Some have said they've seen that star, and it was coming from the Isle of Unicorns. If Orion can get his belt back, one, it would make him extremely happy, and two, it would help him with his own Protector duties."

"Oh, I see." She nodded. "I can handle that. I'll just call Skye, and we can go take care of it." She glanced toward Cedric. "You stay here this time, Mr. Cedric."

"Excuse me?" he asked, frowning. "Why?"

"It's not going to take me that long." She then leaned over to whisper to him, "And maybe you can get to know Chrysta better. Be nice."

He sulked at the final suggestion before whispering back, "I'm always nice."

The auburn-haired teen laughed softly and briefly hugged him. "I won't be long. Just try to get along, you guys."

Chrysta smirked at Cedric as the princess jumped up and headed toward the door. "No promises."

Cedric gulped.

* * *

Once outside, Sofia grasped her amulet. "I wish Skye would come to me now."

"You needn't waste a wish, my princess."

Sofia gasped but giggled as she saw Skye lowering from his flight. "Skye? How did you…?"

"Chrysta informed me of our mission earlier this morning." He bowed slightly, ever the noble steed. "I am at your service, Sofia. Ready when you are."

She nodded and mounted his back, gently grasping his mane. "Let's go, Skye!"

The Isle of Unicorns was as lovely as ever. The beautiful pink and red shades of trees, the mountains, the unicorns themselves… It was just as Sofia remembered seeing it her first time there. Of course, Skye was literally right at home, seeing all his friends and family grazing and chatting amongst the trees.

"From what Chrysta told me," the unicorn began, "the sun has to be hitting the belt just right for it to make some sort of star shape?"

"Yeah," Sofia confirmed. "It's supposed to glow gold and red and form a star when it does." She frowned as she glanced up, noting the skies becoming a bit cloudier. "Unfortunately, it looks like we may be fighting against nature for a while."

"Can you wish for the sun to come out?" He figured he was making a serious suggestion, so he was confused when she started laughing. "What is so funny, my princess?"

"I'm not sure my amulet works on weather… That may be just a bit too much for it." She sighed before yawning softly. "We may just have to wait a bit."

"All right. I know the perfect place for us to wait until the clouds break." With a mysterious smile, he flew off a bit faster, the young Protector giggling in delight.

* * *

Back at Chrysta's house, Cedric continued sitting on the sofa, awkwardly twirling his thumbs. He hated being left with someone he hardly knew, despite how close his apprentice seemed to be to her former trainer. It's not like _he_ was close to her though, and after getting to know her personality a bit more, he wasn't sure he wanted to. _Why_ had Sofia insisted he stay here again? They were supposed to be a _team_ , for Merlin's sake. How could they be a 'team' if she just left him behind like that?

"If you keep twirling your thumbs like that, they're going to get stuck in a knot."

Cedric stared pointedly at the Protector. "Forgive me for trying to occupy my time in a meaningless way while I await the return of my friend."

"Are you _always_ this grouchy?" She snickered. "Sofia always brags about how 'ah-mazing' and sweet you are. I've yet to see 'sweet.' More like sour, if you ask me."

He scoffed. "Yes, well, she rarely speaks of _you_ except to say that you're the one constantly summoning her for more missions, Ever Realm or otherwise." He folded his arms and looked away.

"You don't need to be all defensive and huffy with me, Cedric. I'm not trying to steal your precious apprentice away." She smirked as he glared back at her. "I can see it written all over your face. You're scared that I'm going to just take all Sofia's time and attention, and you'll be left with nothing. I wouldn't do that." She folded her own arms. "I can see how close you are."

"Everyone keeps saying that," he remarked softly, his expression changing to one of contemplation.

"Maybe 'cause it's true?" She shrugged as he sighed. "Now, I think _that's_ sweet. Sofia would literally be friends with a pinecone, though, so…" She burst out laughing when she caught his bitter expression. "I'm just kidding, sorcerer. Lighten up."

"You're rather abrasive, aren't you?"

She grinned as she hopped up from her chair, fluttering into her kitchen. "Take it or leave it. It's all just a part of me." She grabbed a few bowls and opened up a container before pouring some small, brown, fluffy-looking items into each bowl. Once finished, she capped the container and carried the two bowls back into the sitting area, passing one to Cedric. "Here. Food always makes time go faster."

Cedric blinked as he accepted the proffered snack item. "What exactly are these?"

"Chocolate Puffies. One of the Protectors showed me how to make them. They're really good."

He frowned curiously before eating one, his expression lightening. "Mm! These are delicious. They're nearly as good as my mother's fly treats."

"Well, that's a compliment I wasn't expecting." She grinned as he rolled his eyes before eating a few more of the puffy treats. "Appreciate it."

"Hmm." So, she had treats and offered to share. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

"You know, you remind me of a chipmunk when you gobble down all those sweets." She burst out laughing when Cedric glared heavily at her, his mouth still full of the brown puffs.

Never mind. He took it all back.

* * *

Sofia and Skye had just landed beside a small pond, where beautiful flying fish were jumping and fluttering from one section of water to the next. The clouds were steadily beginning to break, allowing some of the sun to reflect off the water, causing it to shimmer.

"It's beautiful here, Skye," Sofia gushed as she sat next to him on the ground. "I can see why you unicorns live here."

"It _is_ rather lovely. I'm fortunate to have such an expanse of breathtaking scenery." He exhaled calmly as the wind blew past them, causing the grass and flowers around them to sway slightly. "Where are you and your sorcerer friend heading next?"

"I'm not sure yet. I asked Mr. Cedric if we could stay for another day, and he agreed… Well, he gave in, I guess I should say." She laughed.

"He does not like the Mystic Isles?"

She smiled gently toward the unicorn. "It's not that. In fact, he's always wanted to come here. He just doesn't like getting away from an agenda, especially one my dad put together." She placed her head into her hands as she rested her elbows on her knees. "He's so scared of getting on my dad's bad side again that he'll do anything to try to make him happy. I just wish he knew that Dad isn't going to berate him anymore, and he's not going to continue checking in on us to make sure we're at one place at a specific time. It's sort of a vacation to him and to me, but he's treating it like an extension of his job… Which, of course, I guess it is, but still…"

"It sounds to me that your Mr. Cedric doesn't know how to have fun."

She giggled. "That's not true at all, Skye. Mr. Cedric can be very fun at times. He just doesn't want to disappoint anyone, especially me or my dad. And he tries so hard to stick to the rules so he doesn't get into trouble, but…"

"Perhaps it would be best to just give him some time, my princess. No one changes over night." The loyal unicorn smiled at his friend, chuckling as she returned the gesture.

"Yeah, I know." She gasped when the clouds fully broke and the sun began shining at its fullest capacity. "Ooh, that's better!"

Skye nodded before blinking as something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He turned to the upper left of his line of vision and gasped before gently nudging Sofia. "Do you see that?"

Sofia turned and immediately her eyes widened. There, nestled in the neighboring tree's branch, was an abandoned bird's nest. In that nest was a small brown object that was glowing…red and gold. Above it hovered the shape of a star. "That's it!"

"Imagine that! It's been in that nest all this time?"

"I guess so! But… Chrysta said he lost it on a mission. It's kind of weird that it would end up there." She stood up. "Then again, birds sometimes pick up strange things to make their nests, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"True."

She grinned at the unicorn. "I'm going to climb up and get it." With that said, she took off toward the tree, grasping the bark and some lower branches to propel herself up the tall tree.

"Are you certain you would not prefer that I retrieve it?" Skye asked in concern as he stood on the ground, watching his friend climb.

"Yeah, it's not that high up." She paused for a few moments to catch her breath before continuing to climb. Once she made it up to the branch in question, she slid onto it and reached out to the nest, grasping the brown object within.

Upon closer inspection, she could see that it was, indeed, a belt. However, it wasn't the kind of belt she had been expecting. It wasn't long enough to go around the other Protector's waist, so she figured he must have worn it in some other manner. After glancing at the inner section of the leather object, she could see that 'Orion' had been etched into the fabric with deep red stitching. She grinned. "He's going to be so excited to see this."

"I wonder what makes it glow like that," the unicorn mentioned as the teen returned to the ground.

"Well, this _is_ a magical world. I don't see why it wouldn't." She giggled and fastened the belt around her arm for safekeeping before climbing onto Skye's back again. "Let's get back to the Isle of Protectors." She then made a face of concern. "I hope Mr. Cedric and Chrysta aren't at each other's throats."

"You may have a point." He chuckled as he took off into the air. "I'll fly twice as fast!"

Sofia smiled and rolled her eyes.

* * *

When they returned to Chrysta's house, Sofia hurried inside and stopped in her tracks. "What happened here?"

Cedric pointed at Chrysta while she pointed at him. "He/She started it!"

The house was a _mess_. Marshmallows, chocolate pieces, woodchips, feathers, and a plethora of other items were scattered about, and both her mentor and her former trainer were covered head to toe in what appeared to be flour.

Sofia laughed, not being able to fathom _how_ this could have possibly begun. "So… I don't get it. What did you guys do while I was gone?"

"She called me a ragamuffin with a gimpy leg, whatever _that_ is supposed to mean, so I used a marshmallow spell against her." Cedric didn't necessarily seem proud of that admission, especially considering how pathetically he'd said it.

Sofia was bemused and intrigued at the same time. "Okay… Didn't even realize there _was_ a marshmallow spell, but…"

"Yeah, so I hit him with the flour," Chrysta added, smirking. "Right before he pretty much called out every random spell he could think of. And then he threw the flour back at _me_."

"But _why_?" the princess pressed, hoping she'd get to the bottom of the situation.

"Because we just don't see eye to eye, I'm afraid," Cedric responded, huffing. He raked some of the flour out of his hair before frowning. "She pays a compliment and then adds an insult."

"Because it's so _easy_! And it's kind of fun to rile you up!" The Protector grinned.

Sofia sighed loudly, getting their full attention. "Wow. And _I'm_ the youngest here? Interesting." She removed the belt from her arm, extending it to the other girl. "Skye and I found Orion's Belt, though!"

"Oh, what?!" Chrysta grinned and accepted it, staring at the enchanted object in awe. "Where was it?"

"In a bird's nest on the Isle of Unicorns. Don't ask me how or why it was there, but it was." She gestured toward Cedric. "Maybe you should use a cleaning spell now, Mr. Cedric?"

He nodded. "Quite right, Sofia." He called one out, cleaning the house and himself yet leaving Chrysta caked in the flour.

The princess folded her arms, staring pointedly at her friend. " _Mr. Cedric_."

He huffed. "Oh, fine." Yet again, he repeated the spell and waved his wand, clearing the brunette of the flour. "There, happy?"

"Ecstatic!" She laughed. "And _now_ that we get to return the belt to Orion, things will be even better. Come on!"

* * *

Orion was a tad bit startled to hear the door to the Protectors' castle door bang open, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was. "Chrysta, you startled me." He blinked upon seeing the other two visitors with her. "Princess Sofia. And Cedric the Great, am I right?"

Cedric grinned, happy to hear his title being used properly. "Yes."

"What on earth is going on?"

"Sofia found your belt, Orion," Chrysta explained, floating over to him and dropping it into his hands.

He stared at the item and slowly smiled toward them. "Where did you find it? I lost it so long ago."

"It was on the Isle of Unicorns," Sofia explained. "Chrysta told us about it, and she sent me to see if we could locate it. Luckily, Skye saw it, so…" She shrugged. "He's the one who deserves the credit. And Chrysta, for mentioning it in the first place."

The older Protector smiled shyly. "Sofia…" She blinked when Orion placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You have my eternal gratitude, Chrysta," he told her kindly.

She blushed a bit before laughing. "You're welcome…"

"As do both of you and Skye," Orion concluded, smiling toward Cedric and Sofia. "I'm very grateful. In fact, this was a gift from my own mentor many moons ago. I shall treasure it even more now, after its safe return." With that said, he fastened the belt around his left bicep just beneath his sleeve, nodding. "Still a perfect fit."

"Glad to hear it," Cedric said, nodding. He then glanced toward Sofia. "Sofia, I…." He paused, realizing what he was about to say would probably upset his friend. He really felt they should get back on track, but if he broke his promise to her and had them leave tonight, she'd be upset. He sighed, changing his train of thought. He placed one hand on her shoulder and smiled as she glanced up at him. "Good work."

She beamed at her mentor. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric!"

* * *

That evening, the friends were in their room yet again, both lying in bed and staring into the darkness, as the candle had been doused a few minutes prior.

"Mr. Cedric…"

Cedric blinked upon hearing his name. He turned toward her voice, since the darkness afforded no visual, not even an outline, of the girl. "Yes, Sofia?"

"Thanks for putting up with me and my silly request to stay here."

He chuckled warmly. "It wasn't a silly request, my dear. You explained your reasoning for wanting to stay quite well. And believe me, I understand now."

"Even though you and Chrysta don't get along…" She grinned, and the tone of her voice practically suggested that she found the situation amusing.

"Let's just say that she wouldn't be invited to my birthday party quite yet…if I still celebrated my birthday, that is."

"She's not that bad, you know. You just have to get used to her nature. She's a lot like you, I think."

He frowned. "How so?"

"She can seem a little mean at first—"

" _Mean_? I was never mean!"

Sofia cleared her throat before imitating the first thing he'd ever said to her. "'Child! Watch where you're dawdling!'" She smirked in his direction, hearing his scoff. "Yeah, totally _not mean_ , Mr. Cedric."

"Well, if you'd gotten my name right the first time…"

"I don't know what you mean, _Mr. Ceedric_." She giggled as he sighed in exasperation. "I'm just kidding." She smiled thoughtfully as she heard him chuckle. "We can leave tomorrow if you want."

"Are you certain?"

She nodded, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Yeah… I think I'm satisfied with everything we've been able to do here. It's time for us to go on the rest of our adventure." She smiled. "And besides, we can always come back. I really want you to officially meet Vega and the other Protectors, not to mention Harrumph and some of the others living in the Mystic Isles."

Cedric laughed softly. "I'll be happy to accompany you here again, Sofia. Get some sleep for now though, all right?"

"I will. Good night, Mr. Cedric." She turned, pulling the covers over herself.

"Good night, Sofia. Pleasant dreams."

To be continued…


	5. Clash of the Mentors

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Yay! Another update! Lol. Sorry the updates have been a bit slower. Teaching and prep have been kind of time-consuming. But the weekend is here, so let the writing begin! All right, for those of you waiting to see Cedric and Chrysta clash again (hence the chapter title), this is for you. 😉 What could they _possibly_ argue about now? You'll see! ;D Also, sorry to disappoint, but for those asking if I could make one-shot stories for situations, I'm exclusively writing AIM for the next several weeks. There _have_ been some rather sweet, fun, and cute stories that a few other authors (Royal Detective, theblindwriter95, and NerdsinaTree, to name a few) have posted though. 😊

* * *

 **Chapter 5  
Clash of the Mentors**

 **Summary: Sofia is uncertain how to react when her two mentors Cedric and Chrysta argue over the princess's training and what's best for her.**

* * *

"Sofia, wake up." Cedric frowned as he stood beside the girl's bed, one hand gently placed on her shoulder as he attempted to urge her into alertness. "Come on, it's time to get up."

Sofia mumbled incoherently before blinking her eyes open, staring at her friend for a few moments, not quite processing what was happening. She frowned thoughtfully before finally making a connection. "Mr. Cedric?"

He chuckled, sitting down next to her as she sat up. "You were sleeping rather heavily. From what I could tell, you didn't move all night. Are you all right?"

She shrugged before yawning. "I guess I'm just tired. I think everything finally caught up with me, and we haven't even been on our journey that long."

"Believe me, if we didn't have a schedule to keep, I would have let you sleep much longer." He noted the light evidence of dark circles beginning to form under her eyes and frowned. "Something tells me you could use it."

The princess gave him an appreciative smile before standing, only to find herself nearly tripping over her own feet. She laughed as Cedric instantly reached out and grasped her arms, preventing her from falling. "Sorry, Mr. Cedric. I guess I'm still not fully awake. I'm…going to go get cleaned up, and then we can finish packing and head out."

"All right." He eyed her carefully as she gathered her new set of clothing for the day and left for the washroom. "Hmm."

* * *

Once both friends were dressed and ready for the day, and after they'd each packed all of their luggage and placed it in the AutoCoach, they returned to Chrysta's house to say goodbye for now.

"So, where are you heading next?" Chrysta wondered as she sat on the arm of one of her chairs, her arms folded and legs crossed as she watched them.

"It's a bit of a secret, actually," Cedric insisted, smiling mysteriously toward his apprentice, who blinked at him. "I have something in mind for you, my dear, but you'll have to wait and see what it is."

She giggled. "You know, I used to like surprises… But after the last couple of years, I'm a little wary of them now."

"Trust me, you will like this one."

"And," the Crystal Fairy added with a grin, "when you finish this little adventure of yours, I have talked to Orion and Vega about adding some new defense training for you, Sofia. And I will officially be your trainer again!"

Cedric frowned.

"Of course, you may get a little roughed up, but don't worry—I'll go easy on you at first."

Sofia smiled uncertainly. "So… New training? On top of school and Ever Realm missions?"

"That's getting a bit ridiculous, wouldn't you say?" Cedric asked the Mystic Isles Protector pointedly. "The poor girl could barely stand on her own this morning from sheer exhaustion, especially after having just completed one of _your_ missions. Do you really think adding _more_ training is going to make things better for her?"

"Look, Cedric," Chrysta drawled, floating up to be eye-to-eye with him. "Sofia's a big girl. She can handle more than you think she can."

"I'm not denying that," he countered, his hands resting on his hips as his apprentice stood off to the side and watched their exchange. "I'm saying that you're putting a great deal of pressure on her, and I urge you to pull back a bit."

"What are you even talking about?" Chrysta rolled her eyes. "She's a _Protector_ —"

" _And_ a princess, _and_ a student, _and_ a Buttercup, _and_ a Story Keeper, _and_ **my** apprentice—"

"Then maybe she needs to trade in her apprenticeship and just focus exclusively on her Protector duties." She waved one hand dismissively. "You've had her to yourself for years, Cedric. She's not that same little kid who was wowed by magic anymore. She's growing up. She has _actual_ responsibilities now, and she's _good_ at what she does. Magic is nice and everything, but it can only get you so far."

"And what of all the 'magical' items _you've_ given her?" he challenged.

"Those help with her missions, of course. There's a difference between magical items to aid in a quest and knowing the spell for perfect marshmallows!"

Sofia blinked in surprise, noting that both her mentor and her trainer looked rather irritated at this point. She wasn't sure _why_ they were suddenly arguing out of the blue, but the fact that it was solely about her was unnerving. "Guys…"

" _You_ are a piece of work; do you know that?" Cedric glared at the Crystal Fairy. "I realize that Sofia has a lot of responsibilities, and I know quite well that she's capable of handling them, but there _is_ such a thing as excessiveness, and you're walking a very thin line, Chrysta."

"Mr. Cedric, I—"

" _Speaking of_ walking a thin line," Chrysta interjected, not hearing Sofia's pleading tone, "let's talk about some of the dumb things _you've_ done that may be considered a bit suspicious. We originally took that raven of yours and locked him up here, where he'd be less likely to cause trouble, after his escapades with Prisma and _Vor_ , of all people. And what did _you_ do? You insisted he stay in the Enchancian castle with you, because you didn't want to face reality: that raven is bad news, and he's _not_ a good bird. You've put your entire kingdom in danger, allowing him to live there with you, despite whatever 'good intentions' you may have had."

"What I opted to do as far as handling Wormwood's actions is _my_ business, not yours." He glowered at the hovering Protector. "And I've taken precautions to keep the kingdom and the royal family safe. I would certainly never endanger them, especially Sofia."

Chrysta laughed. "Now _that's_ a lie! I heard all about your little—"

" _Enough_!"

Cedric and Chrysta instantly grew silent, turning to see that the teenager was standing a small distance away, her arms folded and her eyes narrowed at them, her lips in a tight line. She clearly was agitated and upset, and after recounting their back-and-forth argument, they knew very well _why_ that was.

"I know you both want what's best for me," she began calmly, though she felt anything _but_ calm at the moment, "but you have _got_ to stop arguing. I know you guys don't and probably never will see eye to eye, but if you can't realize anything else, then realize that when you argue like that, all you do is add _more_ stress for _me_. I thought you _cared_ about me."

"We do, Sofia," Chrysta insisted, sighing as Cedric nodded quietly. "We just have very different ways of caring for you."

"Look, I know I take on a lot. That was my _own_ decision." She glanced toward Cedric, who looked away. She then frowned. "I can handle things, really. I know I need to be careful, and I try my best to be. Yeah, I'm tired a lot, but it comes with the territory…" She then looked back at Chrysta. "Chrysta, when Mr. Cedric and I finish this ambassador trip, I'll come to you for my defensive training. But just remember that _he_ is my mentor, and I'm also going to have things to do with him."

Cedric turned toward his friend curiously.

"I enjoy magic more than anything, and Mr. Cedric has helped me become really good at it."

He chuckled softly. "Hardly."

"Really," she corrected, smiling gently. "I don't think I ever told you this, but when I was a little girl, I even dreamed of being a sorceress one day."

The sorcerer's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Well, she could just add that to her list," Chrysta joked, rolling her eyes. "You'll be the most 'hyphenated' Protector we've ever had. Actually, you already _are_." She laughed.

Sofia smiled in relief, realizing that both of her friends now seemed to have calmed down a bit. "Yeah, well, that doesn't surprise me at all."

Cedric shook his head. "Me neither." He turned to Chrysta and cleared his throat. "Chrysta, although you and I may have very different perspectives on Sofia's training and abilities, I think we agree on one thing: we both care for her and want her safe. So, I'm entrusting her safety to you when you two do begin training again." He smiled a bit when he felt Sofia grasp his hand. He glanced toward the princess. "She… She means a great deal to me."

Sofia giggled.

"I know," Chrysta responded with a nod. "She means a lot to me too. To all of us Protectors, really. She's sort of like the kid of the family. We'll take good care of her— _I'll_ take good care of her."

The sorcerer nodded appreciatively. "Thank you."

* * *

Not much later, the two Enchancians bid Chrysta farewell and loaded up in the AutoCoach, departing for their next destination. While in transit yet again, Sofia glanced down at her hands, her fingers gently tracing her palms as a curious frown appeared on her face. She couldn't explain it, but she felt some sort of strange sensation, like her hands were burning. It was sort of uncomfortable but not painful. It was just…

"Sofia?" Cedric asked softly. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," she replied simply, clasping her hands into her lap. She decided to change the subject, so as not to worry her friend. Smiling, she told him, "I'm glad you and Chrysta have sort of made up. I know she's not exactly the easiest person to get along with, but…"

"Honestly, neither am I," he willingly admitted. "I'm not a people person."

" _No_ ," she responded playfully, giggling as he rolled his eyes. "Never would have guessed!"

"Ha-ha, cute." Withdrawing his wand, he summoned the agenda as Sofia leaned against his shoulder, yawning. "Now, then… Our next destination should take about three hours."

"And are you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked, prying him for information that he'd already denied her.

"I already told you it's a secret, but if it helps, here's a hint." He winked at her as she sat up, tilting her head. "It's magic."

Sofia's face fell into an expression of annoyance as she scoffed. "Yeah, that's a _big_ help, Mr. Cedric." She grinned as he chuckled. "Fine. I guess I'll just _have_ to be surprised then."

He nodded, smirking. "Oh, you'll be surprised, all right."

To be continued…


	6. With a Wave of the Wand

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Hey, guys! :D So, the "surprise" in this chapter is sort of obvious with the title and the chapter summary, BUT there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. 😉 PS—Mr. Shortman92, how DARE you get that song stuck in my head! Lol. But it's okay. Better than certain other songs, which shall remain nameless. 😊 Oh, and Sofia's issue at the end of the last chapter will be explained…in one of the future chapters. :D I promise. I'll be building up to it though, so for my keen-eyed reviewers and readers, keep an eye out for that.

Note: Some of the events that occur in here refer to things that happened in some of my previous stories. Those stories include "At First Sight," "Against the Clock," "Dream Team," and "Enjoy the Journey." Also, I threw in a little Easter Egg/STF show reference, for anyone who may catch it. 😉 See if you can crack the code. Lol.

* * *

 **Chapter 6  
With a Wave of the Wand**

 **Summary: Cedric decides that Sofia has finally reached a level in her magical training where she can get a new and more powerful wand crafted by none other than Merlin himself.**

* * *

Sofia had fallen asleep about two hours ago, and they were currently approximately fifteen minutes from their destination. Thanks to Cedric, she was leaning against the side of the coach, which was covered with a fluffy cushion, and she had a thick blanket draped over her sleeping form. She hadn't budged since being consumed by the need to rest, but Cedric was grateful for that.

He knew very well that, like him, Sofia was starting to get less rest. For all the similarities they now shared, the lack of sleep was one he could have lived without. He wouldn't wish restlessness on anyone, much less his closest friend. Still, at least she was able to sleep without any interruptions or obligations to jolt her out of the precious state of relaxation.

Cedric glanced out the window a few minutes later and smiled knowingly as the AutoCoach began its final descent for the time being. Once they officially landed, he reached over and removed the blanket from Sofia so that he could begin the process of waking her up. However, he was surprised to see that she was currently whimpering softly and rubbing her hands together, something he'd noticed her doing a few hours ago.

He frowned in concern before gently coaxing the girl awake. "Sofia, come on, wake up." It actually took less time to stir her into alertness now than it had this morning, and he smiled as she stared sleepily at him. "I'm sorry to wake you, but we're at our next destination."

"Oh…" She nodded, glancing down at her hands once before nervously fisting each one, to keep herself from fidgeting. "Okay."

"What's wrong with your hands?" he asked blatantly, noting the look of surprise on her face.

"Nothing," she told him quietly. "They just…feel weird. Maybe I accidentally slept on them last night or something."

"Hmm." He knew that couldn't be the case. She would have had a much earlier response had that been the problem, but he didn't want to pry. She'd tell him anything he needed to know when she was ready, _if_ it needed to be addressed.

Rather than dwell on the topic, the sorcerer opened the door to the AutoCoach and stepped out, offering his hand to Sofia, who smiled and gratefully accepted it in order to exit. "Sofia, welcome to Cardenould."

The princess glanced around curiously as they walked along the well-worn path that was leading them into a small village. "I've never heard of this place before."

"Not many have. It may be a rather small village, but it's home to many of the most powerful magical items in the entire Ever Realm."

"Wow…" She looked around at the colorful houses and buildings, impressed with the sights. The beautiful scenery surrounding the area reminded her of a mixture of Enchancia and Avalor, which she adored. "So, why exactly are we here again?"

"To retrieve your surprise, of course."

She blinked, turning to him. "My surprise is _here_?"

He smiled mysteriously as they continued walking together through the busy streets, filled with vendors and children playing. "Mm-hmm."

"Hi!" a little blonde girl greeted the two friends excitedly as she rushed over to them, a baby doll clutched in her tiny arms. "Wow! You look like a princess!" She giggled as she grinned toothily at Sofia, who laughed.

"Well, I—" She blinked as Cedric gently nudged her and shook his head, signaling her not to mention that she _was_. Maybe he had a point. She didn't really want to have to explain what a princess was doing wandering around the Ever Realm with her royal sorcerer instead of spending endless hours on her throne, with a tiara on her head instead of a sporty hairband and a beautiful gown instead of one of her numerous Protector outfits. "Thanks," she opted for, grinning at the little girl. "What's your name?"

"I'm Zaila!" She gasped, looking back and forth between the two friends. "You should come play with me and my friends! We're having a tea party!"

"That's charming," Cedric told the girl, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu for some reason…something to do with a different tea party from years ago. "But I'm afraid we're on our way to do some important business."

"Oh! I see." The girl giggled before turning to Sofia. "Is he your little brother?"

Sofia instantly began laughing as Cedric gaped in sheer befuddlement at the child's clear miscomprehension. "Um, no… No, he's my friend."

" _Little_ **brother**?" Cedric asked mostly to himself, baffled as to how she even came to _that_ conclusion.

The auburn-haired girl laughed harder before grabbing her friend's arm and beginning to pull him along. "Let's go, Mr. Cedric. Nice to meet you, Zaila. Have fun with your tea party."

"Okie dokie!" She giggled and rushed off.

"I think that child has a rather _unique_ way of looking at people," Cedric mumbled a few moments later once they were out of earshot of most of the villagers.

Sofia giggled and shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure how she came up with _that_ connection, but…" She shrugged. "Kids are weird, Mr. Cedric."

"I couldn't agree more, my dear."

A few minutes later, they stopped at a small pale blue building which ended up being some sort of shop. The hanging sign read, " _Magic Matters & More_." A glance through the front two windows revealed some quirky displays of cauldrons, wands, books, potions, and many other things.

Sofia followed Cedric through the door, above which a small bell rang as they entered the shop.

"Good afternoon," a man with a long silver beard and mustache greeted as they walked over toward his display case. His matching long silver hair was tied half-up with some twine, and his long velvet green robe practically swallowed his smaller frame. A pair of half-moon spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose as he smiled at the two visitors. "May I help you?"

Cedric withdrew a card from his robe and handed it over to the other man. "I'm here to pick up an order, sir. It was sent in this past spring."

Sofia frowned curiously as she pieced the information together. Cedric had a surprise for her, which appeared to be an order that he had placed now months ago… Had he _known_ he'd be coming here? Or would he have found a way to travel here to retrieve said 'surprise' if he hadn't been involved in the Magical Ambassador travels? Anyway, she was now more concerned about the order he had placed rather than when or how he'd managed it.

The older gentleman nodded with a knowing smile toward Cedric. "Order M-11180908AT is ready for pickup. I'll retrieve it for you." He turned and disappeared behind a red curtain separating the shop from the storage area.

While they waited, the two friends looked around the shop at all the curious items it had to offer. Cedric previewed a large enchanted painting on the wall while Sofia was enamored with some tiny _sleeping_ figurines. She gently tugged Cedric's robe sleeve and gestured toward the little figures.

They were carved into shapes of puppies and kittens, and what was even cuter than the fact that the magic-laced items were _sleeping_ is that they were _snoring_.

"Ah, I'm familiar with these," Cedric chuckled. "Some magical knickknacks, if you will. Cordelia's room was _filled_ with these when we were children."

"They're so _cute_ ," Sofia gushed, grinning.

"Yet rather boring," he informed her. "They literally only sleep and snore the whole time."

The princess beamed at him. "That's even more adorable, Mr. Cedric."

He rolled his eyes in amusement before hearing the whooshing of the curtain again. He nodded toward the man before placing one hand on Sofia's back, guiding her back to the display case.

"Here you are," the old man offered as he placed a long, lavender porcelain case on the glass before unlatching the clasp at the front and opening it, removing the dark cloth that covered the contents within. "See what you think."

Cedric reached into the case, aware that Sofia was watching his every move, and withdrew what had to be the most beautiful wand either had ever seen.

The wand was a rich brown color like Cedric's, made of cedar wood and not at all perfect. It had a few irregularities here and there, as most hand-crafted wands did, which made it unique and far more valuable.

"Fourteen inches," the man read from the info card that came with the wand. "Magic input from Merlin himself, with best wishes to the young Sofia." He smiled toward the surprised girl. "I'm assuming that's you, young lady."

Sofia gaped at her mentor in shock. "M-Mr. Cedric…?"

He smiled and turned the wand around, handing it to her and nodding as she accepted it. "How does it feel?"

She could instantly feel the power the wand held. It was heftier than other wands she'd used, including the training wands from both Royal Prep and Cedric, not to mention his first wand he'd received when he first became the royal sorcerer, which he'd given her as a graduation present a few years ago. This one felt more natural, though, like it _belonged_ to her. It practically fused into her hands upon contact, the cedar wood a rough yet pleasant texture to touch. "I'm… I don't understand."

"I asked Merlin to make this for you, based on your abilities and experience with magic." He clasped his hands over hers as she continued holding and staring at the wand. "This is yours, Sofia. It was designed specifically for you, not only for your role as my apprentice, but also to aid in all the other activities you do." He gently tapped the wand. "It will help keep you safe and armed at all times as well. Do you still have the Wand Ring Cordelia made you a few years ago on your birthday?"

She nodded, speechless.

"If you put that on just at the base, it will even enhance your magic, if necessary."

"Is this her first wand?" the gentleman asked kindly as he observed the girl's amazed look.

"Not quite," Cedric chuckled. "She's had training wands in the past, including one I made myself. She's also been using my old wand the last few years. This is the first non-training wand I've been able to have made specially for her."

"That's quite lovely." He chuckled. "And she's your apprentice, you say?" He smiled as Cedric nodded. "I had an apprentice myself when I was younger. His name was Graiden. Bit of a silly lad but well-meaning. The day he received his first real wand from me, he was too stunned to even _speak_ the rest of the day. Same happened with me when I worked as my own mentor's apprentice. It's a rather humbling experience, to be sure."

Cedric hummed in agreement before glancing back at his friend, who was still just staring at her new wand, awe evident in her expression yet no words yet formed. "Sofia, are you all right?"

As if a spell had been broken, Sofia glanced up at Cedric before grasping the wand in her right hand and throwing her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He could feel the girl shaking, and it was then that he realized… "Why are you crying?" he asked gently as he urged her to step backwards, the sight of tears cascading down her cheeks nearly breaking his heart. He looked toward the other man. "Is there somewhere we could sit and talk privately?"

"Certainly. Right back here." He placed all the extra information into the porcelain box and picked it up, gesturing toward the curtain. He passed the box to Cedric before leading the two friends to the storage area. "Over in that corner there, you'll find a green sofa. Take all the time you need. I'll be in the shop if you should require my services." He smiled as Cedric passed him a few pieces of silver before heading off.

"Come along," the sorcerer whispered, guiding Sofia over to the sofa and sitting down, gesturing for her to sit beside him. "Sofia, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she responded softly, giving him a tired yet teary smile. "I just… I can't believe you had this made for me."

"After all the things you've done for _me_ over the years, how could I _not_?" He placed the case on the arm of the sofa next to Sofia before reaching out to her, cupping her face and carefully drying her tears with his thumbs. "You needn't cry, though. I don't like seeing you cry."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cedric," she sniffled before laughing a little and wiping the rest of her tears away with her own sleeve.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I just wanted to make sure you weren't upset."

"Are you kidding?" She giggled, something he seemed relieved to hear. "You've given me wands before, but this one feels…like it was meant to be, and obviously like it was made for me, which… Which it was…" She stared down at the cedar wand and found a small smile playing on her lips. "When I first met you, I thought you were amazing."

" _Ah-_ mazing, if I recall correctly," he chuckled.

"Yeah… I wanted to be like you so much, because I'd loved magic since I was a little girl. And even though you wouldn't give me the time of day at first, I always admired you and wanted to learn from you." She grinned. "And then…you made me your apprentice. That was probably one of the best days of my life."

"To be frank," he chuckled, "it was originally one of the most dreaded days of mine. I was no good with children, especially a princess. What in the world did I have to gain from teaching you magic? Or better yet, what had possessed you to believe that _I_ would be the best person to learn magic from, after all the rumors that had been spread about my inabilities?" He shook his head. "That's what went through my mind. _But_ you gave me a chance, and now all these years later, here we are. _That's_ why I had this wand made for you. Because _you_ deserve it."

She smiled gently at him. "This is why I like you so much, Mr. Cedric. Because, despite what anyone else may believe, and no matter what has happened between us in the past, you're always so good to me… You help me even when you don't want to or know if you can. You give me a chance when no one else will…" She became a little shy all of a sudden. "You once told me that…I was probably the best thing that's ever happened to you."

He nodded, surprised that she remembered that. He'd said it after she'd done something very touching for him, yet he figured she would have forgotten about that comment by now.

"I think you're probably one of the best things that could have happened to _me_ too." She laughed as he blushed modestly. "I mean, think about it. Where would I be without my Mr. Cedric?"

"I know where _I_ would probably be if it weren't for you…and it's not here." He sighed and shook his head. "You already know you saved me from myself. We continue to save one another, my dear Sofia." He chuckled as she leaned forward to hug him again, resting her head under his chin. He instantly returned the hug, glad to see that she was no longer unexpectedly emotional. "I want you to keep that wand on you at all times. Never let it out of your sight, all right?"

"Yes, Mr. Cedric." She sat up and smiled kindly at her friend. "Are you going to teach me any secret spells, now that I have a more advanced wand?"

He laughed before standing up and helping her to her feet. "We'll see. As long as you promise to use your powers for good."

She scoffed playfully. "Mr. Cedric, what kind of Protector would I be if I used my powers for _evil_?"

"Chrysta." He grinned as Sofia stifled a laugh, shaking her head.

"Mr. Cedric!"

"The woman used a marshmallow spell on me! She has some evil inside of her, even if it's just mediocre."

She smiled and picked up her wand case, placing her new wand inside the box. "So…" She beamed up at her mentor. "What's next on our agenda? And are there any more surprises that I need to be aware of, so I can prepare?"

He smiled and shook his head. "None that I've personally prepared, but then again…" He shrugged. "Life is full of surprises, right?"

Sofia rolled her eyes before grasping his arm and giggling. "You're so corny sometimes, Mr. Cedric."

Cedric chuckled. "Come along. We'd better get moving so that we can make it to our next stop before nightfall."

She nodded as they headed out to their next destination.

To be continued…


	7. Homesick

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Okay, similarly to the last chapter, this one will be filled with some sweet moments. Trust me, I'm building and reestablishing their relationship _now_ because of what's going to happen toward the end of this story. It will all make sense in the long run. Naturally, these two _are_ best friends and already care a great deal for each other, so there's plenty more bonding time coming. 😊 This chapter, though, was written for one main reason: even if you love adventure and you love being away from home, there will be a time—even a fleeting moment—when you're going to miss either your friends, your family, your dog, your cat, your bed, your _norm_ … And that's what Sofia is going through here. Luckily, Cedric seems to have a solution! 😉 Oh, and for Sir Chaos Omega, who asked about Sofia's fairy wand: she still has it. I only mentioned the wands that Sofia used exclusively for sorcery purposes. :D

Note: References to "Never Enough" and "Spectrum."

* * *

 **Chapter 7  
Homesick**

 **Summary: Sofia misses her family and friends, so Cedric tries to cheer her up with a surprise visit to a familiar location.**

* * *

The last few weeks had been something of a blur for the two Enchancian travelers. They had already voyaged to a number of unfamiliar kingdoms and established connections with their royal leaders. Cedric had even managed to talk the king in one of the kingdoms to hire a royal sorcerer to aid him, an affirmative and positive networking move on his part…especially since that particular king had never even given magic much consideration prior to their visit.

However, all the traveling was having a problematic effect on Sofia. Daily, she grew more and more homesick. She missed her family, her friends, Clover, Mia, Robin, Whatnaught… She missed Baileywick waking her up every morning. She missed Amber yelling at James for stealing yet another one of her items. She missed the aroma of freshly-baked pie, courtesy of Chef Andre, of course. She just missed _home_.

Naturally, she was glad to have Cedric with her. He was a part of her home, thankfully. But even though she had him there, he alone couldn't replace everyone else. Of course, she realized that she'd be on this journey for another few months, which did little to diminish her homesickness…

"Sofia, you've been rather quiet the last hour," Cedric mentioned as they were flying yet again in the AutoCoach. "What's wrong?"

Rather than dismiss the question like she normally would, she sighed. "I miss home."

Cedric blinked. "Oh…"

"It's not that I'm not having a great time being with you and traveling, Mr. Cedric. It's just that…" She shrugged. "I guess I didn't realize that I'd miss seeing everyone and having a routine."

He nodded. "Well, that's natural. I'll be honest… Though, if you tell her I said this, I'll deny it, but…" He smiled as she turned to him. "I actually miss Cordelia. Of course I miss Calista, but I'm surprised by how much I've missed interacting with my sister."

The princess giggled. "I think that's normal. No matter how much you guys argue or disagree, she's still your sister. I really miss James and Amber." She sighed before glancing out the window.

"Sounds to me like you could use a bit of a familiar scene, and perhaps some familiar faces as well." The mysterious smile on his face intrigued the teen as she turned to give him an inquisitive expression.

"What are you talking about?"

He chuckled as he waved his wand, murmuring a spell. "You'll see."

* * *

About another hour later, Sofia noticed that the scenery had changed. Rather than the lovely colorful mountains and valleys they were now used to seeing, below them now lay an expanse of black-and-white-toned landscapes. There was also a neighboring piece of land, though it looked far more colorful… And then it clicked.

Sofia beamed at Cedric. "This is where Princess Ivy and Miss Nettle live!" She frowned curiously as she noted his small, pleased smile. "But…how did you know that?"

"I'm full of surprises," he chuckled, causing his friend to blink. "Also, I remembered that you'd mentioned meeting up with them here a few years ago, during the deep sleeps fiasco. I saw this area in my travels to the new arena for the Conjuror's Conference last year, and they happened to be outside during that time. Luckily, all I needed was a navigation spell, and here we are."

"Now, _that's_ a spell that could come in handy." She laughed. "We're going to visit them, then?"

"Of course." He grinned. "I'm sure they both love unexpected company."

"Heh, well…" She giggled with a shrug. "At least it's just you and me. Although, I hope you and Miss Nettle get along better this time."

"You may find this hard to believe, but I've actually collaborated with her a bit in the last year." He gestured vaguely as Sofia stared at him in surprise. "She gave me a discount on some of her magical plants after I gave her a few potions I wasn't using."

"Mr. Cedric and Miss Nettle actually working together?" She grinned. "I never thought I'd see _that_ happen."

"People change, Sofia," he reminded her with a smile. "You know that."

She giggled and nodded. "Yeah, I know. In this case, it's actually a good thing."

The AutoCoach landed near one of the dual chromed trees, and the two friends exited, walking over toward the front door of the rather small castle and knocking.

None other than Miss Nettle answered the door, her blue eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the Enchancians before them. "Princess Sofia! Cedric!" She laughed. "What on earth are you two doing here?"

"We just thought we'd stop by for a visit," Cedric responded simply.

Sofia smiled at the woman. "Mr. Cedric and I are working as Magical Ambassadors for my dad. We go around to different kingdoms and other places and set up networks and things like that."

"Well, that's adorable," she chuckled. "And how long have you been doing that?"

"A few weeks now," the sorcerer answered, surprising the fairy even more. "We began in Helvetica, then traveled to the Mystic Isles, and then to a variety of other kingdoms." He placed his hands on his apprentice's shoulders, causing her to glance up at him. "But… Sofia began feeling a bit homesick, so when I realized we were close to here, I decided to stop and let her reunite with some familiar faces."

A fond smile graced Miss Nettle's face as she gently guided Sofia from Cedric's hold and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, leading her through the door to the castle. "I'm glad you decided to visit. While unexpected, it's good to see a little color around here…besides me, of course." She laughed.

"Princess Ivy still won't change the color scheme, huh?" Sofia guessed as Miss Nettle dropped her arm to her side.

"Not that much. I mean, my own room and a few guest rooms have been painted, but her side of the island…nope." She shrugged. "I can't complain, I guess. She's allowing me to stay here without paying for it, and she even helps me with my enchanted plants, so I don't have any qualms about it."

The princess frowned as she realized something. "Where _is_ Ivy, anyway?"

The fair-haired woman smirked. "Probably out galivanting around with that goofball sorcerer friend of yours, Cedric."

"Greylock?!" Cedric gasped, his mouth dropping.

The fairy chortled. "It actually makes sense! The _Gray_ scale Princess likes _Grey_ lock, eh?" She grinned before snickering at Cedric's reaction. "You can't tell me you didn't see their little flirt fest going on a few years ago at that bazaar."

"And they've been talking to each other ever since?" Sofia concluded with a blink.

"Talking, walking, hand-holding, mushy stuff…" She rolled her eyes. "It's disgusting how _cute_ they are."

"I thought Mr. Greylock was trying to lie low after he left Rudistan," the princess added, exchanging glances with her friend.

"I'm sorry," the sorcerer finally responded, shaking his head. "I'm still trying to fathom this."

"Join the club!" Miss Nettle rolled her eyes. "They've been talking to each other for over a year now, and as standoffish as she is, Ivy actually _likes_ that bad-joke-telling sorcerer for some reason."

Sofia giggled. "I can honestly say that I did _not_ see that coming."

"Well, never mind all that. She'll be back in a while." The woman grinned at the friends. "Are you two hungry?"

"Famished," Cedric responded, realizing how long it had been since they'd actually eaten—several hours ago.

"Come on then. I've got just what you need: Miss Nettle's Famous Dumplings!"

Sofia smiled excitedly. "Sounds great, Miss Nettle! Thanks!"

* * *

After the three of them had eaten, Princess Ivy finally arrived, and to say she was surprised to see the Enchancian duo would be an understatement.

"Princess Sofia!" she gasped when she entered the dining room, shock written all over her face. Her eyes trailed to the sorcerer beside her. "And…you!"

"The name is 'Cedric,' Your Highness," he drawled sarcastically, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin. He was starting to see a pattern with princesses and their lack of getting his name correct. He gave his apprentice a sardonic look when he heard her snickering.

"Right, right… Cedric…" She shook her head, trying to focus. "What on earth are you two doing here? I don't remember making plans for a visit any time soon."

"It was sort of last minute," Sofia admitted, smiling apologetically toward the flustered princess. "If we're going to be a bother, we can go."

"No, no!" She finally smiled and laughed a bit. "It's fine. We're just not used to visitors, is all."

"I'm quite sure _that's_ not true," Cedric quipped, smirking at her. "From what I've heard, you've become well-acquainted with a different sorcerer?"

Princess Ivy gaped at him before glaring at Miss Nettle. "Did you tell them?!"

"Of _course_ I did!" she laughed. "Keeping that secret was getting to me. And of course, when we live alone on this island, there's no one to tell secrets _to_."

"Ugh…" She plopped down in a chair at the head of the table, avoiding the curious looks the visitors were giving her. Finally, she sighed. "Okay, yes, Greylock and I are seeing each other."

"I think it's sweet," Sofia told her.

"Albeit rather strange," Cedric admitted. "No offense, Princess, but I _never_ would have pictured the two of you together."

"And you think I did?" she scoffed with a small smile. "Gotta say, I don't think I ever saw myself with _anyone_ until he came along…with his corny jokes, his kind eyes, his wavy hair, his amazing personality…" A dreamy smile crossed her features as she sighed, so unlike the old Ivy…

The Enchancian sorcerer's face changed to one of discomfort. "Ugh, are we talking about the _same_ Greylock?"

Sofia giggled. "I think when the love-bug bit Princess Ivy, it bit hard."

"But enough about me," Princess Ivy insisted, trying to steer the conversation into more neutral territory. She was already uncomfortable after having admitted her infatuation with the former Rudistanian royal sorcerer, but to continue talking about it was just as bad, in her opinion. She wanted more common ground, and fast. "How have you guys been? And what exactly are you doing here?"

Again, the two friends recounted their reasoning for being out and about, and how they came to find the princess and the fairy.

"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you want," Princess Ivy informed them. "I could even show you some of the new projects we're working on."

"When she's not busy making goo-goo eyes at Mr. Wavy-Hair, that is," the fairy added, grinning at the blushing glare she was receiving from her friend. "Exactly what part of my statement was untrue, Ivy?"

Sofia giggled. "Thanks, Princess Ivy. We appreciate it."

* * *

That night, Cedric entered the room Princess Ivy had set aside for him and Sofia. It was surprisingly colorful, unlike what he was expecting from the older princess's monochrome preferences. The room was a pleasant dual shade of dark purple and royal blue, lit with several candles lining the walls and a shared lamp between the two beds. He glanced toward Sofia, who was sitting on her bed, dressed in her light purple pajama set, and sleepily brushing her hair. "Tired?" he inquired with a warm smile before sitting on his own bed.

"You could say that," she responded with a yawn. "It's been fun spending some time with Miss Nettle and Princess Ivy though." She grinned toward him. "It was a great idea, Mr. Cedric."

"Hmm. I'm glad you approve." He removed his fingerless gloves and set them on the side table before looking back at his friend, noticing that she appeared to be slowly drifting off while sitting up. "Need some help?"

Sofia blinked at him before glancing down, noting that her brush was a little too close to getting tangled in her thick hair. "Uh…yeah. I think so…"

Cedric smiled and moved over to the other bed, sitting down behind the princess and taking the brush from her. He gathered her hair and pulled it behind her shoulders so that it tumbled down her back. He then began brushing out the long, wind-tossed waves with slow, gentle strokes. "So, did you talk to Princess Ivy to see what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

"Hmm… She said she was going to show us the new greenhouses she and Miss Nettle set up and something about a new breed of butterfly? I'm not sure…" She felt her eyes growing rather heavy, the bristles against her back beginning to lull her into sleep.

The sorcerer chuckled as he noticed the girl's breathing becoming slower and her head nodding forward a bit. "You're tired, Sofia. I think it's time you get to bed." He set the brush aside before gathering the girl's hair into three separate sections and braiding it loosely, securing it with the ribbon she'd had tied around her brush.

Sofia blinked at the action before pulling her braided hair over her shoulder, laughing in disbelief as she glanced up at him. "You're surprisingly good at that."

"I used to braid Cordelia's hair sometimes when we were younger, and then Queen Lorelei asked me to braid her hair once when we were younger. Not to mention Calista has recently asked me to do so… So, I've had some experience."

She grinned and turned to face him fully, reaching out and hugging him. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

He responded in kind, gently patting her back. "Certainly, Sofia." He smiled as she released him. "Sleep well, my dear." He lifted the covers on her bed until she'd settled in before lowering the heavy blankets over the girl. He waited until she was sleeping soundly before standing up and heading out of the room. He returned a few minutes later dressed in his own pajamas (his usual dark purple button-up shirt and pants), and he crawled into his own bed, collapsing under the covers with a tired sigh.

He was glad to be here now. There was nothing wrong at all with the Mystic Isles; in fact, he quite enjoyed the magical surroundings. He had also enjoyed seeing the other kingdoms. However, this new location seemed to be more relaxing for both himself and the princess. He understood Sofia's homesickness. She was still relatively young, after all, and wasn't used to being gone from her family for such a long period of time. Still, he'd be there for her in any way he could. He'd promised that to both her and her parents. With a new sigh of contentment, he rolled over and went to sleep.

To be continued…


	8. Poisoned Ivy

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Okay, let me address a few things I saw in the reviews. 😊 I saw a lot of different things I figured I should clear up.

 **Mr. Shortman92** : Yeah, I thought they'd be an interesting couple (Ivy and Greylock), albeit sort of strange. But those couples just seem to work for me. Lol. I was pretty sure chapter 7 was going to be one of those 'slower' chapters since I was finishing it while on my work trip (sorry!), so yeah, sorry if it doesn't seem like too much happened. With 25 chapters, there are bound to be a few slower ones. Haha. AND Queen Lorelei is now the official name of The Queen, according to Craig Gerber. AKA: Queen Genevieve Lillian Adeline (Gillie). Lol.

 **Royal Detective** : I'm 99% sure you WON'T see Greylock in AIM, but yes, he WILL be in Beyond Enchancia. :D And yeah, it took a lot for him to give up Juliana, but he's processed a lot of grief over the years and finally moved on, which is what she would want. 😊

 **Navy Apocalypse 321** : Nope, Cedric is still clueless about his first meeting with Ivy, aside from whatever Sofia may have relayed to him. He has no actual recollection of meeting her that time. He did meet her in a few of my own personal stories before, but those are different. And I agree. Elena has a weird way of handling curses. Haha.

And to the **guest** : I don't know *anything* about Ivy's sister and hadn't planned to bring her into the story… I'm sure someday, someone will though.

Meanwhile, thank you all for the kind reviews, on chapter 7 and all others. I'm always trying to input sweet moments with Cedric and Sofia (naturally), because as I said before, something BIG is going to happen by the end, and it's going to test their friendship. So I build up things prior to that time. :D It won't be happening any time soon. I'll give you the chapter number when it will though: 21. Won't say anything else though. Lol. Anyway, off we go with chapter 8! Poor Ivy is in for it. :P Short yet sweet, AND there's a nice little throwback in here for some of my longtime reviewers/readers!

* * *

 **Chapter 8  
Poisoned Ivy**

 **Summary: When Princess Ivy accidentally eats what appears to be a poisoned apple and falls ill, Sofia and Cedric seek out the culprit so that they can heal their friend.**

* * *

"Good morning, Mr. Cedric!"

Cedric opened his eyes, only to throw one arm over his face as a glaring stream of light filtered in through the bedroom window. "Ugh, blasted sun…" He heard a giggle beside him and slowly lowered his arm to stare curiously at his apprentice, who was already dressed for the day. "Sofia, how long have you been awake?"

"About an hour, I guess." She shrugged before smiling kindly toward him. "Are you going to get up? Miss Nettle said she made breakfast for all of us."

"What exactly did she make?" he wondered cautiously, a residual effect of their prior not-so-wonderful encounter now several years ago.

The princess rolled her eyes before sitting next to him on his bed. "Pancakes, and she has fresh fruit and freshly-squeezed juice, too."

"Who _is_ this woman?" He snickered at his joke as Sofia playfully swatted at his arm. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding…" He chuckled and gently grabbed her wrist, preventing her from smacking him again. "Keep it up and I'll take back that wand."

She glared at him lightheartedly. "I'd like to see you try, _Mr. Ceedric_." She smirked as he visibly flinched at the old unintentional nickname. She laughed as he released his hold on her, allowing her to stand. "Besides, I doubt you'd really want it back anyway…" She smiled fondly at him. "Not after all the trouble you went through to give it to me in the first place."

He hummed thoughtfully. "You're right, of course…" He then waved one hand toward her. "Go on ahead to breakfast. I'm going to get ready for the day and meet you in about half an hour."

"All right. See you soon, Mr. Cedric." She then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her on the way out.

"That girl," he murmured to himself with a small chuckle before pushing the covers aside and getting up to prepare for the day ahead.

* * *

"Pancakes incoming!"

Both Sofia and Princess Ivy stared in awe as the fairy used her wand to levitate the pancakes before magically floating the stacks onto their plates. Soon after, an enchanted cup emptied some syrup over the steaming cakes, which made them look even more appealing.

"Mm," Sofia giggled with a pleased smile. "Those look and smell just like some of the pancakes we get in Enchancia."

"Except they're much better," Miss Nettle informed her with a proud smile, "because _I_ made them."

"That's to be determined," Cedric acknowledged as he walked into the dining room and sat next to Sofia.

The fair-haired woman grinned challengingly. "You dare question my pancake skills, sorcerer? Fine! Let's see who gets the last laugh." She used her wand to yet again transfer more pancakes onto Cedric's plate, repeating the process with the syrup. "Everyone, eat up, and we'll see who's right about this."

A few bites in, and Cedric instantly knew that he owed the fairy an apology…but he didn't really want to admit it.

Sofia happily ate her own pancakes before nudging her friend. "Mr. Cedric, I think there's something you need to tell Miss Nettle."

Princess Ivy smirked as she leaned against the table, her hands folded and her chin resting on top of them. "This should be interesting…"

The sorcerer rolled his eyes before sighing heavily, glaring at the grinning woman across the table from him. "I suppose I should thank you for creating something edible, Nettle."

"If that's the best compliment I'm going to receive from you, I guess I'll take it." She cackled jovially before beginning to consume her own breakfast. "Don't forget that there's some fruit I collected from the garden earlier. Help yourselves." She gestured toward the basket in the center of the table. "We have apples, strawberries, melons, oranges, and bananas, among other things… Good for Vitamin C and potassium."

Sofia shot Cedric a quick glare, causing him to shrink back. "Not one word."

He couldn't help smiling sheepishly, recalling her ban of the word 'potassium' a few years ago. "R-Right…"

Princess Ivy eyed the two friends, blinking as she reached for an apple. "I feel like we've missed something."

The younger princess flushed briefly before waving a dismissive hand. "You don't want to know. Trust me."

"I was just concerned for—" Cedric found a hand over his mouth, and he sighed heavily after gently taking Sofia's wrist and moving her hand. "Fine. Point taken."

"Good."

Miss Nettle chuckled in humor. "You two surely do have one of the strangest yet most endearing friendships I believe I've ever seen."

Princess Ivy bit into her apple as the other three continued talking.

"We've been told that before," Sofia giggled, nudging Cedric playfully, causing him to smile proudly. "We kind of aggravated all the bad guys, because they thought our friendship was annoying…"

Miss Nettle smirked. "Oh, it can get a little exasperating sometimes, trust me. As someone who's seen it firsthand, I tend to concur with those who've told you that."

The dual-tone-haired princess suddenly ceased her chewing of the apple and stared blankly ahead of her.

"You're just jealous," Cedric scoffed, shaking his head. "You're bitter about not having someone like Sofia around all the time. She's a great confidence-booster, I must say."

Sofia blushed modestly. "Mr. Cedric…" She blinked as she noticed that Princess Ivy seemed to be zoned out. That was odd…

"Maybe I should borrow the princess for a while then," Miss Nettle jested. "I could do with a little encouragement from a human for a change rather than from some flowers and little wildlife running rampant around here."

"You can't have Sofia," Cedric insisted, giving the fairy a pointed stare. "She's _my_ apprentice, thank you very much."

"Oh, Cedric, you're such a—"

"Princess Ivy?"

The two not-quite friends paused their argument to glance toward Sofia, who was anxiously staring at the much quieter princess.

"Ivy, are you okay?" Sofia waved her hand in front of the other girl's face before frowning, realizing that she wasn't receiving a response. "Ivy?"

"Princess Ivy," Cedric attempted carefully, somehow managing to rouse her from her dazed state. "Are you all right?"

Princess Ivy blinked a few times before shaking her head, which seemed to do her no favors. She whined a bit and held her hands to her head. "So sweet… Ugh, make it stop…"

"Make _what_ stop?" Sofia wondered, baffled.

"I feel like the world is spinning," the other princess answered, frowning.

Cedric glanced toward a confused Miss Nettle. "What was in that fruit?"

"It was just normal fruit I gathered from the garden, Cedric," she insisted, reaching over and clasping a hand over Princess Ivy's shoulder, frowning as she flinched a bit, seemingly in pain. "I've never seen her react this negatively to an apple before."

Sofia gasped, getting their attention. "What if it was poisoned? You know, like some of the other princesses in the past—Snow White, for example. She ate a poisoned apple and nearly died from it."

Miss Nettle huffed as Cedric tossed her an accusatory look. "I'm not a wicked witch! I would never try to harm Ivy. It's bad for business." She grinned as Princess Ivy made an annoyed sound amid her pain. "Just trying to liven things up, Ivy. We'll figure out what's going on with you, or who's responsible for this. Meanwhile, let's get you back to bed."

"Ugh… Poison Ivy… Poisoned Ivy… I hate puns," the older princess whined as her friend guided her back to her room.

"Who could have done something so awful to her, Mr. Cedric?" Sofia glanced toward her friend.

"While I didn't care for Nettle's little sarcastic quip, I don't think it was her. And it wasn't us." He frowned. "Is anyone else on this island?"

"You know, I have no idea…" She shrugged. "I've been here once before when my amulet summoned me, but aside from those two and some animals, I never saw anyone else." She gasped as she recalled an important detail. "I just remembered: Princess Ivy has a skunk friend named Roma. He may know something."

"Hold on a minute." Cedric watched as Sofia stood from her chair, a determined look on her face. "She has a _skunk_ friend? As in one of the smelliest creatures on the planet?" He grinned at the teen's unamused look. "I mean, sure, the color scheme is similar, but wouldn't she prefer a more fragrant companion?"

"Oh, come on," Sofia sighed as she grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the table, inwardly smirking to herself as he yelped in surprise. ' _Serves him right for joking at a time like this_.'

* * *

Outside, the two friends noted the sun disappearing behind some dense clouds, darkening the area a little bit.

"So where is this skunk friend of hers?" Cedric asked as he followed his friend along the outer area of the castle.

"Usually, he'd be in the castle, but I didn't see him at all last night." She frowned thoughtfully, hoping he hadn't left or…something worse. "Maybe he's around here somewhere."

"Sofia, 'around here somewhere' could be just about anywhere. Have you noticed how huge this island is? We'll never find a little skunk in this vast expanse of land."

Sofia grinned as a thought came to her, her eyes darting to her Enchantlet. "Oh, yes, we will." She aimed upward. "Which Way Bow, show us the way to Roma the Skunk!" She watched carefully as the arrow darted through the air before disappearing into a cluster of trees and flowers in the distance. "That way!" She took off running.

"Well, _that's_ certainly useful," Cedric murmured before hurrying after her. "Sofia, wait up!"

After a few minutes of running through the foliage, the two friends finally located the tree cluster that the arrow had singled out. There, curled into a bed of flowers, was a napping Roma. He seemed at peace enough, though both friends had to wonder why he was out here rather than in the castle like he normally would have been.

Sofia knelt beside the skunk and gently stroked his fur, whispering, "Roma, wake up."

Roma yawned before blinking open his eyes and smacking his lips. He then caught sight of a familiar face and beamed. "Princess Sofia!" He looked behind her at the curious sorcerer. "And…some tall guy!"

She giggled. "That's Mr. Cedric. He's my friend."

"I always forget you can talk to animals," Cedric muttered to her, folding his arms. "Suppose I'll have to get used to that on this trip."

"More like for life," she responded, smiling at him before glancing back to Roma, who was staring at her attentively. "So, we have a question for you."

He nodded.

"Two actually. One, what are you doing out here? I thought you lived with Ivy at the castle."

The skunk shrugged. "I still do, but I had to get away for a while." He grimaced as a thought came to him, and not a pleasant one, it seemed. "She gets kind of moody sometimes, and I just want a good night's sleep, so I decided to stay on my own when she gets like that. Other times she's the nice Ivy I've always seen, and things are fine." He tilted his head. "And what's the second question?"

"Do you know anyone around here who'd want to hurt her?" the princess asked bluntly, startling the skunk. "Like poisoned apples or something?"

" _Hurt_ her?"

Cedric raised one eyebrow at the exchange between the princess and the animal. "I take it he didn't like that question…"

"Who would want to hurt Ivy?" Roma asked in shock. "Sofia, I can't think of a single person! She and Miss Nettle get along so well, and all the animals here just love her. Aside from that weird brown-haired guy who comes around every now and then, no one else lives on this island. And even that guy seems to like her, so I doubt he'd want to hurt her."

"Hmm…" Sofia stood and glanced toward Cedric. "Roma said no one would want to hurt Ivy. Besides her and Miss Nettle—and the animals and sometimes Mr. Greylock—no one else is around here. So, I'm thinking… Maybe it was an accident."

"Yes, I've heard people 'accidentally poison' people all the time," the sorcerer remarked sardonically with a roll of his eyes.

She shook her head. "Hear me out, Mr. Cedric. She only started acting sick when she began eating that fruit, especially once she bit into the apple."

Roma gasped, getting her attention. "Are you sure it wasn't a _bapple_?"

"A _bapple_?" Sofia echoed.

"What in Merlin's name is a _bapple_?" Cedric wondered. "And where did you even hear that word?" He then eyed the skunk. "Oh, right. Talking skunk. Got it."

Roma explained, "A _bapple_ is a bad apple that looks like a perfectly normal one. They grow on the same trees. They smell the same as normal apples, feel the same, and everything. The only difference is the taste, so…you never know if you've got one until you eat it. _Bapples_ tend to taste very sweet."

Sofia relayed all the information back to Cedric, who appeared perplexed.

"How on earth can even eating an apple on this island be safe then? That's rather strange."

"We've gotta tell Miss Nettle and Princess Ivy. And maybe you can create a potion to cure her?"

Roma hurried up to them and gently pawed at Sofia's leg until she picked him up, so that he could be level with them. "She doesn't need a potion to be cured. She needs a _gapple_."

"She needs a _gapple_ , he said," she repeated to Cedric, who couldn't help smirking.

"Let me guess… A _good_ apple?"

"Yes," the skunk answered, even though only Sofia could understand him. "But unlike _bapples_ and normal apples, _gapples_ are golden and grow on Miss Nettle's side of the island, where she's been tending to her own flowers and land. You know, the area you visited last time, Sofia, where she was growing the Wake-Upsy Daisies. _Gapples_ are usually found about halfway up the mountain."

Again, Sofia told Cedric everything Roma was saying.

"Of _course_ it's located at a lengthy distance," he mumbled, "and on the side of a _mountain_ , no less." He sighed heavily as he shrugged. "Let's get moving so we can find it, then. I'd hate for Princess Ivy to get any sicker."

"She will," Roma lamented sadly, "if you don't find it fast. The effects of _bapples_ seem harmless enough aside from causing headaches and nausea, but they'll steadily become more life-threatening if something isn't done."

"Then Mr. Cedric is right. Let's hurry."

* * *

After yet another long trek across a large expanse of land, the trio arrived at the mountain Roma had previously mentioned. About halfway up, as indicated, there seemed to be a solitary tree with some golden apples dangling from its branches.

"There is _no way_ we're going to make it up that mountain safely," Cedric informed them seriously. "I'm sorry, Sofia. I simply cannot allow you to climb up there."

She laughed. "First, I'm impressed that you believed I was going by myself." She grinned as she placed Roma on the ground and held up her right wrist. "Second, don't forget, I come equipped with my own useful tools now. If our wands can't handle something, my Enchantlet can." She winked at him before creating a lasso and hurling it up the side of the mountain, smirking triumphantly as she seized a few of the golden fruits.

Cedric watched in admiration as his apprentice put her Protector skills to the test. A few years ago, she would have probably defied his orders and climbed up the mountain anyway, declaring that Ivy's safety was more important than her own. While she still had that mentality, she certainly had more capability to think things through as a teenager, with her problem-solving skills and better equipment to suit her position as a Protector. He had to admit: he was very impressed. "Is there anything you _can't_ do?"

The princess giggled as she roped in the _gapples_ , passing them off to her friend. "I still can't sing the Enchancian Anthem without fearing that I'm going to start croaking like a frog again."

He smirked at her. "That was _your_ fault, my dear. I've never seen you get so full of yourself before."

"I was a child." She laughed as he rolled his eyes, and then she gathered Roma into her arms. "Let's hurry so we can help Ivy."

* * *

"Ugh, it's so bright in here!" Princess Ivy complained as she lay in her bed, her blankets piled on top of her. She whimpered as Miss Nettle placed a damp cloth on her forehead. "And that's cold!"

"You are the biggest baby when you get sick," Miss Nettle chastised with a scoff. "It's like dealing with a toddler."

"Excuse me for being _poisoned_. Ooh, when I find out who did this, I'm going to—" She couldn't even finish her thought as a wave of nausea swept over her, followed by dizziness.

The fairy pushed her friend back, making her lie down again as she draped the damp cloth over her eyes instead of her forehead. "Stop stressing yourself now, or it's going to get worse. We'll figure out what happened."

"We know what happened!"

Princess Ivy sat up quickly, the cloth falling from her eyes and into her lap. She groaned in misery, realizing instantly how awful of an idea it was. Her equilibrium was shot. "Wh-What are you talking about, Sofia?" She stared at the Enchancian duo and noticed that a familiar skunk was lying in the younger princess's arms. "Roma! I wondered where you went!"

Roma smiled happily and leapt from Sofia's arms onto the bed, moving over to snuggle with his friend.

"You said you know what happened?" Miss Nettle clarified, glancing at the other two.

"It was a _bapple_ ," Cedric told her. "And yes, that's apparently a real thing."

"I didn't think _bapples_ were real," Princess Ivy said, stroking the skunk's fur.

"Apparently they are," Sofia informed her.

"If you have a _bapple_ situation, you'll need a _gapple_ to fix it," Miss Nettle told them. "It's an advanced enchanted gardening level, though. I don't even know if there are any around here."

Sofia pulled up a sack that she'd had tied around her waist and placed it onto the bed, watching as the golden fruit rolled out. She smiled. "You were saying?"

Miss Nettle grinned at the girl. "You _would_ have the solution to the problem, Princess." She picked up one of the _gapples_ and passed it over to Princess Ivy. "Eat this, and you should feel a lot better."

The older princess nodded and did as she was told, and instantly all the pain and illness went away. She sighed in relief, smiling at them. "Thanks, Sofia."

"Don't thank me. Roma is the one who told me about them." She giggled at the surprised look on the woman's face.

"Roma, you talk now?" Princess Ivy asked in shock as she looked down at her furry friend.

"It's my amulet," Sofia clarified. "It allows me to talk to animals."

"Oh, right. Of course." She giggled sheepishly. "It sure would be neat to be able to talk to him though."

Sofia exchanged glances with Cedric, who shrugged as he seemed to be reading her thoughts. "I wonder…" She held onto her amulet and said clearly, "I wish Princess Ivy and Miss Nettle could understand Roma."

The amulet flashed once, washing over the room.

The Enchancian princess smiled toward the baffled skunk. "Go ahead. Say something to them."

Roma hesitantly looked toward his friend. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Princess Ivy grinned and hugged the skunk, squealing. "Ooh, Roma! Thank you! And you can talk!" She looked toward Miss Nettle excitedly. "He can _talk_!"

The fairy smirked, shaking her head. "Yes, dear, we all heard him. Well…" She grinned toward Cedric. "Almost all of us."

He shrugged. "I think it is more important that you two understand him than I."

Princess Ivy gently stroked the skunk's fur. "We have so much to talk about! First thing." She looked toward him pointedly. "Where have you been the last few days? You had me worried sick!"

The skunk smiled sheepishly. "That's…a long story."

"One you guys can talk about privately," Sofia insisted as she grabbed Cedric's arm. "We'll leave you guys alone for a while. I hope you feel better, Ivy."

She smiled. "I already do. Thanks so much, Sofia, for everything."

* * *

That evening, Cedric sat on his bed, looking over his agenda. He smiled as Sofia hopped next to him, already dressed in her pajamas and her hair free from any bands or braids for a change.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously as she peered over his shoulder at the list.

"I'm planning our next visit." He glanced toward her. "Namile is next on the list."

Sofia gasped. "Namile… As in Dante the Delightful and his kingdom?" She grinned as he nodded. "When are we going there?"

"Tomorrow, if that's all right with you."

She nodded enthusiastically. "I can't wait. I've been curious how things turned out for him, especially since he's been a royal sorcerer for over two years now."

"Agreed. And since his wretched cousin is no longer a problem, things should be a great deal calmer for him now." He finished marking a few things before placing the agenda onto the bedside table. "Now, my dear girl, you better get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Sofia smiled as she gently grasped his arm. "I guess we'd better enjoy it, right? After all, _you_ are the one who told me that the night before I graduated: 'Enjoy the journey.'"

"I guess you do listen to me sometimes after all," he chuckled softly as she hugged him. He gently stroked her hair as she sighed. After a few moments, he patted her back. "Best get to bed, Sofia. You'll need a good night of rest."

"You too, Mr. Cedric," she insisted as she looked toward him.

"I will. I promise." He smiled as she nodded before moving over to her own bed, snuggling under the covers.

"Good night, Mr. Cedric," she called sleepily before turning over and settling down to sleep.

"Good night, Sofia." He left the room and changed into his own nightclothes before heading to bed himself, dousing the lamp and plunging the room into a comfortable darkness once more.

To be continued…


	9. Namile's Calling My Name

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: I have been so excited to write this chapter! Dante is one of my favorite OCs, so I'm anxious for you all to see what's gone on with him in the last two-plus years. :D Also, just a heads up: all the chapters up through chapter 13 have been or will be fairly lighthearted and fun. By the time chapter 14 comes into play, the _big_ plot point begins, and things will slowly start taking a more serious and even sort of darker turn. You'll see what I mean. 😉 By the way, in this chapter, Sofia has a rather clueless moment. Forgive the girl. She's been away from Enchancia too long. Lol! (Side note: The name Issy came from watching BGT with the little girl magician Issy Simpson. I thought that was rather appropriate. Cute kid who likes magic? It's almost perfect!)

Note: Upon the posting of this chapter, I've officially surpassed the one million words mark on this site! 😊 Yay!

* * *

 **Chapter 9  
Namile's Calling My Name**

 **Summary: The Enchancian duo visit the Kingdom of Namile next, where they meet up with Dante the Delightful, Princess Seraphina, and a surprising new addition to their family.**

* * *

Sofia and Cedric were currently in the AutoCoach, on their way to the next stop: Namile. They'd eaten breakfast with Princess Ivy and Miss Nettle before packing up and heading out. In fact, they all had plans now to meet up sometime soon: most likely after Sofia had gotten settled into her new school year.

Now, however, they were back among the clouds and the birds, traveling once again. And as Sofia was growing a bit restless, she'd decided to pass the time training with her new wand.

" _Cookieossity_!" She grinned as a plate of cookies dropped from the air and into her lap. "Mm!"

"Of all the spells you could have conducted with a proper wand, you opt for the cookie spell," Cedric remarked with a roll of his eyes. "You are such a child, Sofia."

She grinned as she picked up one of her cookies. "Says the one who has a serious affinity for tiny magical cupcakes." Satisfied with the sour look on his face, she happily munched on her cookie.

"I'll have you know, my Great-Great-Grandmummy Lenora created and perfected the fly cakes recipe. She passed it down to her daughter, and eventually it made its way to my mother, and ever since it's been in our family." He smirked. "And fly cakes beat cookies any day." Despite his insistency, he still reached over and snagged one of her cookies, taking a bite.

Sofia scoffed playfully as she set the plate between them. "If that's the case, why are you stealing my cookies?"

"Because I'm hungry, and even though fly cakes are superior, cookies are still delicious."

She giggled as she watched him eat another cookie. "Whatever you say, Mr. Cedric." She twirled her wand thoughtfully. "I wonder how Dante has been doing the last few years." She eyed her friend as he coughed once before looking away. Her blue eyes narrowed curiously. "You know something I don't, don't you?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps."

Sofia's mouth dropped open. "What is it, Mr. Cedric? What do you know that I don't?"

"You'll see, my dear." He smiled disarmingly as she sighed. "And I think you'll quite like the surprise."

* * *

The Kingdom of Namile was a pleasant sight for both friends. The beautiful summer blossoms now coated the kingdom, and the sparkling blue water on the western coast of the kingdom just added to its majesty. To be fair, the last time they had visited this kingdom, it had been right after Wassailia, and the entire land had been one massive winter wonderland. Seeing it in all its summery glory was a new yet welcomed change. The blue-hued castle stood tall and proud, with its multiple towers surrounding the building and several new trees planted along the estate.

Once the AutoCoach landed at the front gate, Cedric exited and helped Sofia out as well. They were instantly greeted by some guards in light blue uniforms.

"State your business, if you please," the head guard commanded.

"I'm Cedric the Great, the Magical Ambassador sent by King Roland from Enchancia. This is his daughter Princess Sofia, who is accompanying me on the journey. We were sent to see Dante the Delightful."

The man's brown eyes widened in realization. "Oh, of course! Yes, King Leandro asked us to be on the lookout for you two." He nodded to some other guards, who saluted. "My men will see to your coach and luggage, sir. Please, follow me, and I will take you to the king and queen."

Sofia watched as several guards began removing their luggage before one attempted to take care of the AutoCoach, only to realize he couldn't. She giggled as she tugged at Cedric's robe. "Mr. Cedric."

Cedric turned and rolled his eyes. "Allow me." He muttered a spell, causing the coach to transfer from the gate entrance to an empty location just inside the gate, where it would be out of the way.

"That's useful," one guard laughed before following his comrades as they dealt with the luggage.

The head guard nodded toward his visitors. "Much obliged, sir. Come along."

* * *

They had hardly entered the throne room when an excited laugh escaped from the royal man seated on his throne. "Is that Cedric the Sensational? Oh, excuse me—Cedric the _Great_ now."

Cedric smiled before bowing respectfully. "King Leandro," he greeted as he rose to his full height again. "What an honor to see you. You remember Princess Sofia?"

The auburn-haired teen smiled and curtsied to the man.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course!" The brown-haired man approached them excitedly, grinning. "You certainly have grown up, Princess Sofia. The last few years have been very kind to you."

She smiled. "Thank you, King Leandro."

"Amelie and I have been talking about this visit for some time now. After what you two did for Dante—and for our kingdom, no less—we are forever in your debt."

"You don't owe us anything, Your Majesty," Sofia insisted. "We just did what we were asked to do, and clearing Dante's name was the _right_ thing to do."

He nodded and chuckled. "Then, I suppose, allow me to amend my statement: we forever offer you both our gratitude."

The princess giggled. "We'll take that."

"Where is Queen Amelie?" Cedric wondered as he looked around. "Where is anyone else, actually?"

"Oh, right, about that…" The older man shrugged. "She's with Seraphina, tending to our granddaughter."

"Aww," Sofia cooed before pausing. "Wait, _what_?" She gasped as she made the connection. "Did… Did Princess Seraphina get married? Who did she marry? When did she have a daughter?" She glanced up at Cedric. "You _knew_ about this?!"

King Leandro exchanged glances with Cedric, who seemed rather amused. "You didn't tell her?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise, Your Majesty."

The king's dark purple eyes twinkled in delight. "Follow me."

* * *

Upon stopping in the hallway at a white door with intricate gold trimmings, the king knocked and waited patiently. Hearing an affirmative beckon to enter, he turned to the other two. "We must stay quiet," he insisted with one finger to his lips.

The Enchancian duo nodded as they were led inside.

The bedroom was an expansive array of white and royal blue blended together: white walls, blue plush carpet, white and blue sheer curtains cascading from the top of the massive windows to the floor, mixed colors of the king bed comforter and canopy covers, and so forth. Overall, it was a rather comfortable and welcoming environment.

"Princess Sofia, Mr. Cedric?" The blonde-haired princess they'd met a few years ago, Princess Seraphina, smiled delightedly as she hurried over to them. She still looked very much the same: long wavy blonde hair tied back with flowers (like her mother), a floor-length white dress, and a lighter shade of purple eyes, which were quite similar to her father's. "Oh, Dante has spoken of seeing you two again. I'm so glad you made it safely."

"Where _is_ Dante, Princess Seraphina?" Sofia asked curiously. She noticed rather quickly that Queen Amelie was standing in the center of the bedroom, her arms cradling someone. She couldn't see that well as the queen's back was to her.

"He's working right now. He had to meet with his mentor at the convention center today. He should be back soon though."

"He has a mentor now?" Cedric asked, intrigued. "What a wonderful idea, actually. I feel more of the newer sorcerers—especially royal sorcerers—could do with a mentor of their own."

Princess Seraphina nodded. "He's learned a lot from him. Maybe you know him: Sir Finlay of Helvetica?"

"No way," Sofia gasped. "We were just in Helvetica not too long ago." She laughed. "Now _that_ is a neat coincidence."

Cedric chuckled and smiled toward the older princess. "Sir Finlay is an old friend and colleague of mine. Dante is very fortunate to have him as a mentor."

"Kind of weird that he didn't mention it though," the younger princess told her friend. She then turned toward the Namilean princess. "So… King Leandro mentioned something about a baby?" She smiled excitedly.

Princess Seraphina laughed softly before gesturing for the friends to follow her. When she reached her mother, she gently scooped a sleeping infant from her arms. Turning, she presented the little girl to the other two. "Mr. Cedric, Princess Sofia, this is my daughter: Isadora. We call her Issy."

The little girl in question had rather dark hair and light skin, and she was dressed in soft pink pajamas. Even her tiny hands were covered in the fabric. When she blinked open her eyes, the friends could see the same amethyst eyes that her mother possessed. But that hair…

Sofia finally realized what should have been blatantly obvious from the beginning. She gaped at the other girl. "You married _Dante_ , didn't you?"

Queen Amelie giggled. "No one told her?"

"Mr. Cedric thinks it's fun to keep secrets from me, apparently." Sofia grinned toward her mentor.

"I figured it was fairly obvious, my dear."

Princess Seraphina smiled as she rocked her daughter gently. "Dante and I had been best friends since we were three years old. After he was established as our royal sorcerer, we began seeing each other a bit more, though we realized pretty quickly that we were starting to feel like far more than just friends. After a few months, my parents allowed us to begin courting. We got married once we'd both turned eighteen, and a few months ago…" She nodded toward Isadora. "Little Issy came along, and we couldn't be happier."

"So, does that mean that one day, you will be queen and Dante will be king?" Sofia was trying to figure out how the royal lineage would work, now that a princess had married a royal sorcerer. She wasn't sure if it had happened before, or even if it was a common practice, but Namile was one of the more progressive kingdoms, so she assumed it was going to be seen as a fairly normal occurrence.

"Sort of," King Leandro confirmed. "Seraphina was always destined to take over the throne, especially since she is our only child. When the time comes, Seraphina will be the queen, and Dante will act as king consort."

"Royal matters are always a royal _pain_ , if you ask me," Queen Amelie chuckled. "You two must be starving after your journey."

Cedric nodded as Sofia giggled. "It has been a while since we last ate. I guess breakfast, actually."

"It's time we get some food in you then," King Leandro chuckled. "I'll inform Chef Henri to go ahead and prepare some meals. Meanwhile, your rooms have been prepared for your stay. I'll make sure you get to them myself."

Sofia grinned. "Thanks, King Leandro." She turned to the other princess. "Will Dante be back in a few hours, do you think?"

She nodded. "I believe so." She smiled at the younger girl. "And I think he will be especially thrilled to see you two."

* * *

The rooms set aside for Cedric and Sofia were directly across the hall from each other, just like in Helvetica. Both rooms echoed a similar color scheme as Princess Seraphina's bedroom, which incorporated the lighter blues and white. Each also had a balcony that overlooked different areas of the kingdom. Each bed was large and overstuffed with pillows, and the mattresses were extra comfortable, to their delight.

"I could fall asleep right here," Cedric admitted as he lay face down on his bed just as Sofia walked in.

"It's not even nighttime yet," Sofia told him as she walked over to the bed and sat next to him.

"Your point?" he asked, his voice muffled by about three different pillows.

"Come on, Mr. Cedric. Get up. King Leandro went through all the trouble to get his chef to make us some food." She giggled as he gave her a sarcastic smirk. "I know. It sounds as silly to me as it does to you. And besides, Dante will be back soon, right? We can't miss seeing him!"

"We won't. I just want some time to sleep." He lifted his hand to his mouth as he yawned.

"You can't go to sleep yet, though."

"Watch me." He smiled contentedly as he grabbed one of the pillows and cuddled it while lying on his side, closing his eyes.

"Fine. If you get to sleep, so do I."

He believed she was about to retreat to her room, but he was surprised when she hopped onto _his_ bed right next to him, leaning her head on _his_ pillow. He looked at her bemusedly. "Sofia, what are you doing?"

"Proving a point." She smiled as she looked toward him playfully. "If you get to sleep, so do I."

"There's a whole other bed in _your room_ , you know."

She grinned. "But where's the fun in that? I can't annoy you if I'm in my own room."

He rolled his eyes. "I once described you as 'irritatingly charming.'" He smirked as she giggled. "The older you get, the more inclined I am to drop the 'charming' part."

She matched his smirk. "So now I'm just 'irritatingly?' Learn the difference between an adverb and an adjective, Mr. Cedric."

He scoffed as he sat up, listening to her laugh. "This has got to be the most pointless argument ever."

"It got you up though." She sat up and slid onto the floor, placing her hands on her hips. "Ready to eat?"

"Do I have a choice?" He yelped as she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.

* * *

About an hour later, after the visiting Enchancians had eaten, they were greeted by a familiar and warm voice.

"Hey, you guys!"

Sofia gasped and turned, seeing Dante the Delightful walking into the common room where they had all gathered. She jumped up from her seat beside Cedric and hurried toward Dante, hugging him. "Dante!"

Dante looked about the same as last time. He still had his hair tied into a long dark ponytail, though it was much neater this time around. His outfit as a royal sorcerer had evolved into a more intricate design that reminded her a bit of what Mateo wore, except on the blue spectrum. He also looked a bit more mature now, which she supposed was due to being twenty years old now and a father as well.

"Sofia," the young sorcerer laughed, returning her hug. "You've gotten taller!" He then playfully tugged at her ponytail. "And look at all this hair! You're finally catching up to me, huh?" He laughed.

Sofia smiled and hugged him again, giggling. "It is _so_ good to see you." She moved back and placed her hands on her hips. "And I saw Issy earlier. She looks just like you! And Princess Seraphina, too, of course." She grinned.

"Well, she _is_ our daughter," he joked before glancing toward Cedric, who had approached them. "Mr. Cedric! How wonderful to see you!" He smiled and forwent the other sorcerer's extended hand and hugged him instead.

Cedric laughed uncertainly, slightly caught off guard, before hesitantly patting the other sorcerer on the back. "Oh, good. Another hugger."

Sofia grinned. "You should be used to it by now, Mr. Cedric. I feel like I've helped you practice enough over the years."

Dante released Cedric and smiled. "You haven't changed a bit. How have you been?"

"Surprisingly wonderful," the older sorcerer returned honestly, chuckling. "Sofia and I have been working together quite a bit, and luckily her father allowed her to come along with me on this trip. We are establishing stronger magical ties with kingdoms, as you may have heard."

"Oh, yeah, Sir Finlay was telling me all about that earlier today. He wants me to join the program next year. Maybe I could go with you guys?"

Sofia laughed. "That would be ah-mazing!"

Princess Seraphina walked over and gently kissed Dante before passing the baby over to him. "Glad you're home, Dante."

He smiled gently toward his wife. "Thanks, Sera." He glanced toward his daughter, who was staring sleepily at him. "Issy, did you get to meet some new people today?" He gently shifted her around to where she was visible to the others. "These are some very important people. They saved me." He gestured toward Cedric. "This is Mr. Cedric, the best sorcerer in the world."

Cedric chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know about that…"

Sofia smiled and leaned against him. " _I_ do."

He smiled fondly at her and wrapped his arm around her.

"And that's Princess Sofia, the sweetest and nicest princess you'll ever meet—aside from your Mommy, of course." He winked toward Seraphina, who laughed softly. He then turned back to the Enchancian visitors. "Would you guys like to stay here for a few days? I'd love to catch up with you guys and show you everything that's changed since you were last here."

Sofia glanced up toward her mentor. "Mr. Cedric?"

He shrugged before nodding toward Dante. "I don't see why not. We're not due for our next location until next week anyway."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Princess Seraphina informed them as she placed a hand on Dante's shoulder. "After everything you've done for us, it's the least we could do."

"It would be our pleasure, Princess," Cedric informed her kindly.

* * *

That evening, Cedric was dressed for bed and was already starting to settle in when he heard a knock at his door. A chuckle escaped him as he recalled all the knocks back in Enchancia… He'd been with his apprentice so often these days that he didn't hear the knocks much anymore, and he didn't realize how much he'd missed them. "Come in, Sofia."

Sofia pushed the door open and shut it behind her. As usual, she was dressed for bed, though her pajamas tonight looked a bit closer to her Protector outfit, minus the cape. She walked over to the bed and sat on it, but instead of saying anything to her friend, she was staring at her hands.

"Sofia, what's wrong?"

"My hands hurt, Mr. Cedric," she told him, her fingers gently trailing over her palms. "I didn't want to bother you about it, but it's gotten to the point where I don't know what to do. It's been a while since they hurt last, but they're really starting to bother me tonight."

"I wonder what's going on." Having removed his fingerless gloves a few minutes ago, he was now able to clasp his own hands around hers, inspecting her palms and fingers. "When you say they _hurt_ , what do you mean?"

"I told you when we were on the way to get my wand a while ago, I think, that they feel like they're tingling. But now it's more like a burning sensation." She sighed as he gently massaged her palms with his thumbs. "I don't know why this is happening, Mr. Cedric. I couldn't even get to sleep with them hurting like this."

"Hmm. Just a moment." He released her hands and got out of his bed, moving over to the bag where he'd stored his potions. After digging through it for a few moments, he finally withdrew a small green jar. Satisfied, he walked back over to his bed and settled down, gesturing for Sofia to hold her hands out to him again. "This is a pain-relieving potion. It's relatively general and can help with all types of pain, so we'll see if it works." He uncorked the bottle and poured a small amount into her left palm. "Rub that on both of your hands. And, so that it doesn't get anywhere, I have an idea." He corked the bottle and placed it on his bedside table before picking up his family wand. Once Sofia finished rubbing the product on her hands, he murmured a soft spell and tapped each of her hands, producing some simple cotton gloves.

Sofia blinked at her hands. "To keep the potion from spreading?"

He smiled and nodded. "Precisely." He then frowned before setting his wand aside and gently taking her gloved hands. "Listen, Sofia. I know you don't want to worry me, but you'll worry me _more_ if you don't tell me if you're in pain—any kind. If I can help, I'm going to. Part of my job is to take care of you, and I'm not about to let anything happen to you."

She sighed and nodded. "I know… I'm sorry for keeping it from you." She smiled tiredly at him. "I'll let you know next time. I promise."

"Good. Off to bed with you." He chuckled as she hugged him briefly before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her. He pondered her predicament as he settled down, pulling the covers over himself. What could be going on with her? He'd come prepared for injuries or illnesses, but hurting hands? It seemed so simple and nonintrusive, yet she seemed rather affected by it. "I'll have to look further into that later…" He sighed and turned over, dousing the lamp and falling asleep.

Sofia climbed into her own bed and stared at her gloved hands, which weren't hurting anymore. The coldness of the potion seemed to coat her hands in a comforting, healing blanket, and the gloves that Cedric had given her just seemed to protect them better. "So weird…" She sighed and doused her own lamp before lying down and staring out the window at the softly glowing moon and twinkling stars before finally drifting off to sleep.

To be continued…


	10. Fairy Funny

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: I know a lot of you are concerned for Sofia. You'll find out what's going on with her in a few chapters. Meanwhile, it's time to see some characters that rarely show up in my stories. 😉 Also, this chapter is filled with pure fluff! You have been warned. *eyes MarionetteJ2X* :D Oh, this chapter is relatively short compared to the others, but it's mostly fluff and silly stuff. :D Enjoy it while you can, though, because like I said... It's going to start getting a little more serious soon! ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 10  
Fairy Funny**

 **Summary: After visiting with Dante and his family, Cedric and Sofia get lost on the way to their next location and stop to camp for the evening. They're in for quite a surprise when three familiar fairies show up to lend a helping hand.**

* * *

The next few days were great for the friends. Time spent with the Namilean family was precious time. It meant getting to see how much Dante had improved as a sorcerer (which was a _lot_ ), and it also meant getting to know Princess Seraphina better. But even more importantly, it meant fawning over Isadora while she was still so little. Or, as Cedric liked to call her…

"She's such a tiny little poppet, isn't she?"

Sofia glanced toward her mentor, confused. "A puppet?"

He chuckled as the baby lay on her blanket on the plush carpet of Princess Seraphina's and Dante's bedroom, her curious purple eyes scanning her surroundings. " _Poppet_. It's a term of endearment, usually used for girls. My Grammy used to call Cordelia that when we were little."

The Enchancian princess giggled softly. "I think it's the first time I've ever heard it." She then smiled gently as she caught his eye. "Or the first time I've seen you so enamored by a baby."

He blushed mildly as the others in the room laughed. "Forgive me for finding an infant adorable. When you think about it, she's truly at the perfect age: she's not old enough to argue or use sarcasm, but she can still smile and melt peoples' hearts. That's talent."

Sofia gave him a prying look. "Why do I feel like that was a dig at _me_?"

He chuckled and playfully nudged her as she leaned against him. "I'm only kidding, Sofia."

She smiled toward him. "I know."

"So, are you two planning on heading out in the morning?" Dante asked as he picked up the babbling baby, gently patting her back as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yes," Cedric answered as Sofia yawned. "As much as we've enjoyed being able to spend time with you and your family, we have a schedule to keep."

"We should make plans to get together again sometime," the older princess suggested. "Maybe next year, when Issy is a little older?" She grinned. "I'd actually love for you guys to come to her first birthday party."

"When _is_ her birthday?" Sofia wondered, having missed that detail.

"April 2nd, like my mom," Dante beamed. He glanced toward Cedric and smiled. "Would you like to hold her, Mr. Cedric? You're the only one who hasn't so far."

"Oh, no, Dante," he insisted, waving his hands. "I'm not overly familiar with babies."

"Are you kidding?" Sofia laughed. "Babies love you, Mr. Cedric! When we went to the marketplace a few months ago, that little baby with her mom stared at you the whole time. When you turned to leave, she started crying." She giggled as she glanced back at the Namilean couple. "He had to conjure her a doll so that she'd stop crying. It was so cute!"

"You say 'cute.' I say, 'bewildering and slightly frightening.'" He sighed as he caught sight of the tiny infant princess eyeing him quietly. "Oh, very well… This one time."

Dante chuckled and moved toward him, carefully easing his daughter into his friend's arms. He noted the nervous look on Cedric's face and grinned. "She doesn't bite, Mr. Cedric. …Not yet anyway. No teeth."

Cedric gave the other sorcerer a pointed look, causing the girls to laugh. "Oh, _that's_ comforting, Dante."

Princess Seraphina smiled as her daughter cooed happily and reached up, patting Cedric's face. "I think it's safe to say that she likes you, Mr. Cedric."

He smiled and nodded, placing his hand over the tiny hand against his cheek. "I suppose so." He watched as the little girl curled her fingers around his index finger. "Find my finger interesting, do you, little one?"

Sofia grinned toward the other two. "And he says he's not good with babies."

Isadora yawned once before drifting off to sleep, still holding onto Cedric's finger like it was her security blanket.

"I think it's safe to say that she adores you," Princess Seraphina informed the sorcerer, giggling.

Cedric sighed, a calm smile finding its way to his face. "It would seem so, Princess Seraphina…"

* * *

The next morning, Cedric and Sofia bid farewell to Namile and its inhabitants before heading off yet again. The next several days would encompass trips to some of the lesser-known kingdoms: Birchnacht, Hindsoore, Laindstrohm, and Valdorno.

"I don't think we even studied those at Royal Prep," Sofia told her friend as they were in the AutoCoach.

"That's likely the case," Cedric affirmed. "These kingdoms aren't as well known. In fact, had they not been on the list, I honestly would have completely forgotten about them."

"Which one are we going to first?"

"Laindstrohm."

The teen frowned as she looked over the list. "And you know where you're going, right?"

"Certainly." He smiled proudly. "If my calculations are correct, we should be there in forty-five minutes."

* * *

Forty-five minutes passed, and there was no sight of the kingdom in question. Another thirty minutes passed, and still no kingdom. Below were several acres of land with fully-grown trees and rushing rivers and streams, yet no kingdom was to be found.

"Are you _sure_ we're going the right way?" Sofia asked again, turning the map every direction she could think of to attempt to make sense of it.

Cedric groaned as he leaned back against the coach seat. "I think we're lost, actually."

" _Lost_?!" She gasped. "Mr. Cedric, we're in the middle of nowhere, it's getting late, and we don't know where we are?"

He sighed. "It would seem that way." Seeing her perplexed expression, he smiled to try to ease her nerves. "Look, it's fine. Let's just land somewhere down there and make camp for the evening. We can continue on our way tomorrow once I've gotten my bearings."

She nodded, feeling a little better that they weren't going to continue onward, possibly getting even _more_ lost. "Okay."

* * *

They soon touched down on the bank along a huge river, where they spied a deer with her fawn drinking peacefully. The mountains in the distance painted a beautiful scenic view of browns, purples, and greens reflecting in the sun. There were numerous plants, particularly berry bushes and trees, growing near the rushing river. All in all, it was a wonderful sight to behold.

"All we're missing is a Native princess trying to decide which course to take when the river comes to a fork," Sofia joked, though she noted the look of confusion on her mentor's face and giggled. "Never mind. Are we going to set up camp here, or…?"

"See, I had an idea." He gestured between a few trees. "I could actually conjure us some hammocks, and we could use those for sleeping this evening." He smiled as she gasped in excitement. "And if you could gather some kindling, you know the fire spell. We could also get a fire going."

"Mr. Cedric, you're a genius!" She laughed as he brushed his fingers against his robe in a proud manner.

"Well, I don't like to brag…"

" _That's_ the biggest lie I've ever heard."

The two friends were startled by a rather familiar voice nearing them. Turning, they saw a few acquaintances they never fathomed they'd see in the middle of nowhere.

"Ms. Merryweather?" Sofia gasped, laughing in disbelief. "Ms. Fauna? Ms. Flora? What are you doing here?"

"I take it you two don't know where you are," Flora chuckled.

"What was your first clue?" Cedric asked, still sourly glaring toward Merryweather, his unofficial arch-fairy-foe. Of the three fairies, he got along with her the least, sometimes even less than Miss Nettle. She just knew how to push his buttons, and unfortunately, she used it to her advantage sometimes.

"You're in Peri Vadisi," Fauna responded with her usual chipper yet airy voice. "It's Turkish for 'Fairy Valley.'" She giggled as she gestured around. "We gather here with many other fairies throughout the Ever Realm annually, and we enjoy our meetings together."

"Did Miss Nettle come?" Sofia asked curiously.

"Good heavens, no," Merryweather scoffed. "Reformed or not, she's too much of a showoff with her Nettle Drops and her loud mouth. Not to mention the Honeycomb Incident last year." She shuddered as the two Enchancians blinked at her. "Don't ask."

"I don't know," the princess countered with a soft smile. "She's actually pretty nice now, and she's really fun to be around if you give her a chance."

"And how have you been since we last saw you, Sofia?" Flora asked kindly, steering the conversation away from the hot topic of the once-malicious fairy. "How is Ever Realm Academy treating you?"

"It's been great. It's hard work, but I like that. I do miss Royal Prep sometimes though." She grinned as the three fairies nodded. "Mr. Cedric and I have been working a lot together, too. He and I are actually traveling this summer to different kingdoms; he's a Magical Ambassador for Enchancia, and I'm helping him out on the trip."

"She's done more than just help," Cedric argued lightly. "She's the one establishing long-lasting relationships with kingdoms. Networking is her forte. Me, I'm just doing the magical aspect of it all."

"It sounds like it's taken a team effort though," Fauna acknowledged, giggling. "You two always did work well together. I'm glad to see that hasn't changed."

"Yeah," Sofia giggled, smiling toward her mentor, who returned the gesture. "Oh! Maybe you can help us. We're camping here for the night since it's gotten late, but we need to get to a kingdom and got lost somehow. Do you know which direction we need to go to get to Laindstrohm?"

Merryweather rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're _definitely_ nowhere near it. It's about three hours in _that_ direction." She turned and pointed south.

Cedric laughed nervously as Sofia sighed. "Oops." He shrugged. "I guess I got my directions mixed up then… I suppose we'll just start fresh in the morning."

Sofia beamed toward the fairies. "Would you like to camp out with us tonight, since we're already here? It would be awesome to catch up with you!"

Flora smiled at the invitation. "We'd love that! Right, ladies?"

"Do we _have_ to?" Merryweather grumbled, eyeing Cedric pointedly, before Fauna gently elbowed her. "I mean, we'd be delighted."

Cedric smirked. "I'm sure you would."

"Then it's settled!" Sofia laughed. "I have _so much_ to tell you all."

Fauna smiled as she clasped her hands. "Can't wait to hear it, dear."

With that said, they commenced their evening of camping together.

To be continued…


	11. Getaway

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Per requests/suggestions/hints, there will be some more interactions with the fairies in here before moving into the main plot. This one is full of bonding, so hope you have fun with it. 😊 A few of the promotional image quotes will be in here too! (Mr. Shortman92—The April 2nd birthday is my cousin's birthday, but that was definitely a happy coincidence! Haha!) Also, glad people caught the Pocahontas reference in the last chapter. If we couldn't have her in the show, by golly, I'll put her in here, even though I did already write a story with her once. Lol. Oh, and Navy Apocalypse 321: I think you'll find something familiar in here. ;)

Warning: Bonding fluff and sugary sweetness galore coming up. And hugs. Lots of hugs. :p

* * *

 **Chapter 11  
Getaway**

 **Summary: Seeing that traveling so often seems to be wearing on his apprentice, Cedric surprises Sofia with a picnic beside the ocean so they can have some bonding time.**

* * *

"It sure is nice out here at night," Sofia commented as she sat next to Cedric while they were in a circle around the campfire with the three fairies. "It's not too hot, it's quiet, it's peaceful…"

"Wait till the wolves start howling," Merryweather joked, snickering at the look on Cedric's face. "Don't worry, Cedric. They're miles away from here."

"Well, that's a relief," he remarked, sighing.

"So, tell us about this Magical Ambassador program of yours," Flora requested as she passed around some sticks with marshmallows on them for everyone to roast over the flames. "How did you go about pursuing that avenue?"

"King Roland asked me to," Cedric responded simply, shrugging as he accepted his own marshmallow stick and lowered it toward the fire. "And as he is my king, my boss, and my friend, I couldn't very well say no."

Sofia grinned toward the others. "No, what he _really_ couldn't say no to was bringing _me_ along." She giggled as Cedric rolled his eyes. "Apparently, if I look sad enough, he'll agree to just about anything."

"Although," Cedric added thoughtfully with a focused stare on his marshmallow, "I'm rather glad she did come along. I can't imagine how _boring_ this trip would have been without her."

Fauna laughed as Sofia smiled happily. "It's good to see you two getting to spend more time together. I was afraid that as time went on, it might try to draw you apart."

"I wouldn't let that happen, Ms. Fauna," Sofia insisted with a shake of her head. "I don't care how busy we get or how far apart we might be." She smiled gently toward Cedric, who gazed curiously at her. "I'll always find my way back to Mr. Cedric. He's a very important part of my life…"

"Sofia…"

"Your marshmallow is burning."

Cedric gasped sharply and quickly withdrew the stick from the flame, pouting as he noticed that there was nothing left but a gooey mass of charcoal. He glared over at Merryweather, who was cackling at the result, even after having warned him. "Oh, ha-ha, very funny."

"It really is!" the blue-clad woman responded, laughing even harder.

Throughout the evening, they found plenty to discuss. Sofia finally told the fairies about her meeting with their former charge Aurora (much to their delight and surprise), Miss Nettle's full reformation with the help of a talking snowman, her fairy wand from the Mystic Isles (which she apparently had neglected to inform Cedric about, considering his reaction), and even her own ability to transform into just about anything—including a fairy.

"My, you certainly have gained many new abilities," Flora chuckled. "And I had no idea you were involved in so many things!"

"She had gotten rather good at keeping secrets," Cedric admitted, smirking as the girl shrugged sheepishly. "Fortunately, she no longer needs to do that. Not when she has us to help her out."

Sofia smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

* * *

They soon finished their talk and treats before ultimately deciding to call it a night. As the Enchancian travelers would have to get up early, they bid the fairies farewell for now before heading to their hammocks to get some rest.

To Sofia's delight, Cedric had managed to string up the hammocks side by side, where they had a nice view of the star-blanketed night sky.

"Mr. Cedric," Sofia yawned as she snuggled deeper beneath a blanket that she'd conjured for herself.

"Hmm?" He glanced over toward his apprentice, his own body covered with a thick blanket.

"How many more kingdoms do we have to visit before it's time to go home?"

He frowned. He had previously wondered if their travels were beginning to wear down his princess, but he'd never asked. Perhaps he should… "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged lazily as she stared at the stars. "Just wondering."

"Well…those four I previously mentioned, and then there are some others on the list as well, I believe." He sighed. "I just can't recall their names off the top of my head."

"Oh… Okay."

He frowned in concern. "Is everything all right, Sofia?"

She smiled reassuringly toward him. "Yeah… You're with me, so I'm just fine." To emphasize her point, she reached out from her blanket, extending her hand to him.

Cedric chuckled and mimicked her motions, gently clasping her hand. "Good night, Sofia. Get some rest."

"Good night, Mr. Cedric." She gently squeezed his hand before retracting her own and turning over, fading into her dream world.

The sorcerer pondered her words and actions. She was obviously exhausted, and not just from the day. He could tell that all the traveling was starting to get to her. With that thought in mind, he came up with a solution that would likely ease her mind and make her feel better. "I probably need a break as much as she does," he reasoned to himself before closing his eyes and falling asleep himself.

* * *

Early the next morning, with the proper instructions from the fairies, Sofia and Cedric took off again, heading south. Neither one was particularly chatty at that point, but Sofia seemed especially quiet. It was getting to the point where Cedric was beginning to worry.

' _I've got to do something_ ,' he thought desperately once they were about an hour into their journey, before a secretive smile appeared on his face as he glimpsed the scenery beneath them. ' _I have an idea_." With a wave of his wand, the AutoCoach began to descend.

Sofia blinked as she noticed the change and turned to Cedric. "What's going on, Mr. Cedric?"

He smiled mysteriously toward her. "You'll see."

* * *

Within a few minutes, they had landed on a secluded stretch of land that ran along the ocean. The sand was a clean beige color, speckled with various seashells and even a stray starfish or two. Before Sofia could even vocalize her confusion, Cedric used his wand to conjure a blanket, which draped across the sand, and a basket overflowing with some of the most delicious-looking food either had ever seen.

The princess stared at the setup before blinking toward her friend. "What's all this?"

"This, my dear, is for you."

"For me?" She was still baffled, even as he guided her to sit down on the blanket, him following her. "But why?"

"The truth?" He smiled as she eyed him sarcastically. "Right, of course. Well…" He shrugged. "I can tell all our traveling is starting to weigh heavily on you, and I don't want you to get outdone or burned out before we finish. I figured a little picnic near the water might do both of us a world of good." He shifted a bit and held out his right arm, smiling as she leaned against him, before wrapping his arm around her comfortingly.

Sofia sighed in content as she watched the waves crashing against the shore. "I didn't know I even needed this…" She smiled up at him. "But _you_ did. Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself, Mr. Cedric…"

"Funny, I could say the same for you."

She giggled. "I guess I just get a bit stressed sometimes, and I don't even notice it until someone points it out. I try hard not to let it show, but…"

"You don't always have to be the strong one, you know." He gently rubbed her arm as she sighed. "Lean on me if you need to. I'll always be here for you."

"Oh, Mr. Cedric…" She giggled as she went back to watching the water. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I am _so_ glad you're so different from when I first met you."

"Well, I'm sure," he laughed.

"No, you don't understand." She turned toward him, smiling uncertainly. "When I first met you, of course, I was in awe of you. I thought you were wonderful. _But_ …I was also sort of intimidated by you and scared of you a bit."

He frowned. "You were?" He blinked as she nodded. "Why?"

"Well, you weren't exactly _nice_ , Mr. Cedric." She grinned as he gaped at her. "I mean, _eventually_ you started acting nice to me and then finally just _were_ nice rather than _acting_ …if that makes sense." She laughed. "But…no, those first few times—first few weeks, actually—when I went to see you, you really did sort of…" She shrugged. "I don't know… But yeah, I was a little scared of you, honestly. I just didn't want you to know it. And I didn't _want_ to be afraid of you, because I thought you seemed like a really neat person that I wanted to get to know."

"Well, that's…both endearing and disheartening to hear at the same time." He sputtered a bit, making his apprentice laugh again. "Now I feel bad!"

"Well, considering the circumstances, _good_." She smiled as he hugged her closer, and she leaned against his shoulder. "I'm glad you are who you are now… Someone I can rely on, share my worries and secrets with, go on adventures with…"

He chuckled as he affectionately settled his cheek against the crown of her head. "The feeling is mutual, my dear." As he heard the crash of yet another rush of waves, he sat up and vaguely gestured toward the shoreline with his left hand. "Do you know what they say about places like this?"

Sofia shook her head.

"They say it's magical, mystical, unpredictable…healing." He smiled toward her as she gazed up at him. "Sometimes the ocean can heal the soul. Just one look at the water, at the shoreline, at the sunrise or sunset…and you just know that everything is going to be all right in the end."

The young Protector pondered his words for a long time before finally smiling and teasing, "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Mr. Cedric?"

"See, this is the thanks I get for trying to be metaphorical and insightful for a change." He scoffed as she laughed. "What an ungrateful apprentice _you_ turned out to be." He smirked as she laughed even harder.

"Thanks, Mr. Cedric," she finally managed to say, calming her laughter to giggles. "I really _did_ need this…" She turned and fully hugged him, sighing as he returned the hug. "You know what else makes me happy?" she whispered.

"What's that?" he returned softly.

"You don't push me away anymore…" She held onto him a little tighter, smiling as she felt him doing the same. "Not gonna lie. It sort of hurt my feelings when you used to do that… But when you started returning my hugs, I was so happy."

"I'll be honest," he admitted as he finally released her, allowing her to sit back on the blanket and look at him curiously. "Hugging took some getting used to, not only from a random child who weaseled her way into my life…" He smirked as she snickered. "But also from a princess. That sort of affection isn't shown between the classes often, and you just…kicked down that barrier and tap danced on it, all while singing and with a smile on your face."

"And a wand in my hand," she added playfully, causing him to laugh. "I don't care about class, Mr. Cedric. I grew up poor—the daughter of a cobbler and a sailor. In a _village_. Technically, you were of a higher class than I was before Mom married Dad. But I don't see all of that. I just see _you_ : Mr. Cedric-my best friend, my mentor, my teacher…and one of my favorite people in the world." She smiled fondly as he appeared rather flattered by her words. "So, thanks for giving me a chance…" She smirked.

Cedric frowned. "Don't. Don't ruin this beautiful moment with—"

" _Mr. Ceedric_."

"Bah!" He folded his arms and looked away as the teen broke into laughter. "I swear, I thought we were done with that horrid name botchery, and here you decide to bring it back all these years later." He eyed her accusingly as she grinned guiltily. "And it's not even the first time on this trip. You are incorrigible, you know that?"

"I am not. I'm _encouraging_! I think you selected the wrong adjective, Mr. Cedric."

"Not in this case…" He finally smiled as she unfolded his arms and hugged him again. "You're forgiven." He gently tugged at her ponytail as the princess smiled up at him.

"Good to know."

To be continued…

(End note: Yes, they eventually did eat all that delicious food. Lol. I would never let good food go to waste. :p)


	12. Parental Involvement

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Wow! I'm glad to see so many people enjoyed the last chapter! 😊 That makes me super happy. I hereby make a vow: I will have chapters 13 and 14 up THIS WEEKEND because of you all. 😉 Those reviews just make me so happy. Just so you know, though, chapter 13 will likely be shorter than most of the others, just because the context needs very little information. But I'm still going to jam-pack it with sweetness, as always. Remember, we've got to get it in before the heavy stuff hits. :D Anyway! Here you have another familiar duo: Goodwyn and Winifred! It wouldn't be a complete story without Cedric's parents. I love them to pieces. :D

To the guest who wants me to write more _Elena_ stories and fewer _Sofia_ stories: I don't think so. Don't get me wrong. I like _Elena of Avalor_ , but _Sofia the First_ means far more to me on a much deeper and personal level that many people don't know or understand. There's a reason I got into the show and felt drawn to it. The show may be over, but my love for it isn't going away. If you like _Elena_ stories better, that's great. But I'm a _Sofia the First_ writer first and foremost these days, and I'm going to write for what I love. 😊

Note: This chapter builds on previous background info, including mentioning of the Transiclouds and the Kingdom of Mahiya from "Never Enough."

* * *

 **Chapter 12  
Parental Involvement**

 **Summary: Cedric is beyond surprised when he and Sofia run into his parents during their travels to the next location. While spending time with them, he learns of a secret society that could be beneficial to both himself and Sofia.**

* * *

"I think it's safe to say that we can cross Birchnacht off the list for next year," Sofia mumbled as she folded her arms. "That queen was _rude_."

Cedric chuckled as he drew a line through the kingdom's name with his quill. "She certainly wasn't a magic enthusiast. It's fine though. We have plenty of other connections. Hindsoore and Valdorno have fully-established royal wizards, and Laindstrohm doesn't seem to be that far behind." He tapped the pen against his list. "Though I tend to disagree with the king's choice of putting a magician in as his royal sorcerer." He sighed heavily as Sofia snickered. "Real magic and show magic are two entirely different things, but it's his kingdom, I suppose…"

"Well, yeah, of course…" She giggled as her stomach began rumbling, a sign that lunchtime was upon them. "Mr. Cedric, can we stop somewhere for a meal?"

"I suppose so." He glanced out the window at their surroundings. "I think there's a charming little restaurant not too far from here. My parents used to frequent it quite often in the past before moving to Mystic Meadows."

"How are they, by the way? I feel like I haven't seen them in forever…" She really did miss Goodwyn and Winifred. To her, they were like another set of grandparents. She'd never really known her own birth grandparents, Roland I had died before she was even born, and Grand Mum was unfortunately rather ill at the moment. So, to her, having Cedric's parents around was a wonderful substitute.

"They're well, from what I understand. Apparently, my mother has begun making a quilt, which takes quite a bit of focus and time."

"What's the quilt for?" Sofia wondered.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He chuckled. "Sometimes, she just likes to have something to do. And my father now works as a part-time instructor at Hexley Hall, if you can believe it."

"No way!" She blinked in surprise. "Mr. Goodwyn? A teacher?" She giggled. "Well, I guess it _does_ run in the family… Of course, you did _your_ teaching at Royal Prep."

He shrugged with a small laugh. "If you had asked me ten years ago if I'd even step _foot_ into that school, I would have laughed you right out the door. And now, it appears that I'd be welcomed back with open arms, especially after substituting for your class that one year."

"I liked having you as a teacher," she declared thoughtfully. "Though honestly, I prefer having you as my mentor more." She grinned. "Not to sound selfish, but I don't really like sharing you with everyone."

Cedric chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Trust me, my dear girl. I don't quite see myself working as a substitute for any school in the foreseeable future, so I'm at your service."

She giggled. "Good."

* * *

Not much later, the AutoCoach landed near a small stone building with smoke rising from an oven pipe. As it turned out, it was the restaurant Cedric had mentioned to Sofia: Kai's Kitchen.

"Who's Kai?" Sofia asked as Cedric helped her out of the coach. She followed him toward the door.

"The original owner," he responded as he held the door open for her next, smiling toward her as she entered the bustling atmosphere. "Mrs. Kai had a plethora of recipes that her own family had recorded over their lifetimes, and she decided to open this restaurant. In fact, she was good friends with my Grammy. Alas, she passed away many years ago now. However, from what I hear, her daughter and her son-in-law now run the place."

"So, keeping it in the family, I guess," Sofia laughed as she and Cedric waited to be seated.

He chuckled and shrugged. "Something like that."

"Cedric?

"Ceddy-kins?!"

Cedric blinked and turned just in time to feel himself pulled into a familiar hug. "Mummy?!" Once the initial shock wore off, he gently returned his mother's hug, just as Goodwyn approached them. "What are you both doing here?"

"We might ask the same of you, Son," Goodwyn chuckled. He smiled and bowed politely to the teen beside his son. "Princess Sofia, it's a pleasure to see you, as usual."

She giggled. "Thanks, Mr. Goodwyn. Wow, this is so weird. Mr. Cedric and I were _just_ talking about you guys earlier."

"Ah, so that's why my ears were burning, hmm?" Winifred grinned toward them. "What brings the both of you here? I thought you were on an adventure, or so Cordelia and King Roland said."

"We are," the younger sorcerer affirmed. "We just happened to be back in this area, and Sofia was hungry, so…"

"Well, come sit with us," Goodwyn insisted as he gestured toward a nearby table. "There's plenty of room, and we'd love to hear all about your travels."

Sofia giggled as Winifred linked arms with her and led her forward. "Please, Mr. Cedric? It would be nice to eat with people we know. And who better than your mom and dad?"

Cedric smiled and shrugged. "I don't see why not."

* * *

Several minutes later, the quartet was seated around the table, each with a glass of water yet no food at the moment, although they'd already ordered. Instead, they passed the time talking.

"Where all have you traveled so far?" Goodwyn inquired, curious.

Sofia pondered as she tried to recall all the places they'd been. "Helvetica, the Mystic Isles, Namile, a bunch of other places I either can't remember or pronounce…"

"The Mystic Isles, hmm?" the older sorcerer asked, humming in approval. "An excellent place, naturally. Though I can't imagine what networking ties with royals you'd find there."

"It was more of a magical emergency, Father," Cedric clarified. "Sofia is still a Protector, and that self-righteous trainer of hers likes to call on my apprentice at the most inopportune times."

Winifred chuckled. "Don't be jealous, Ceddy. You have to share the princess with others at _some_ point."

Cedric blushed in embarrassment as Sofia giggled. "I'm not jealous, Mother… I'm simply stating facts: that trainer of hers, Chrysta, relies heavily on Sofia to complete odd jobs as a Protector, even if she's in the middle of something else."

Sofia grinned as she nudged her friend playfully. "Yeah, that's not _exactly_ the way it happened though…"

"And where are you two heading next?" Goodwyn asked, steering the conversation to more interesting (in his opinion) matters.

"I think we're going to take a few days for rest actually." Cedric sighed happily as the server placed food before each of them. He hadn't realized how hungry he'd been until he actually saw the food. "Mm!"

"I have a suggestion, if I may." Goodwyn stirred some of his mixed vegetables on his plate, blending them with the meat. "You've heard of Mahiya (Mɑ-hi-yɑ/Mah-hee-yah), Cedric?"

Sofia frowned thoughtfully. _Why_ did that sound so familiar to her?

"Yes, of course. Some sort of secret kingdom that no one knows anything about." The younger sorcerer glanced toward his father. "However, I was led to believe it was a myth."

"It's no myth, Ceddy," Winifred insisted. "It's very much real. Your father and I have been there before in the past."

Cedric's mouth fell open in shock. "What?!"

"Mr. Cedric, shh!" Sofia attempted to calm her friend down, noting that people were beginning to stare at them, especially after his outburst.

"Sorry," he whispered, grinning guiltily, before quickly turning back to his parents. "What do you mean, it's real—and you've _been_ there?!" he whisper-yelled.

The older sorcerer chuckled at his son's reaction. "Mahiya is rather difficult to get to, and most people don't even bother trying. That's why it's so secretive—because so few have tried to uncover the mysteries of the magical kingdom."

"I'm sorry," Sofia interjected, her eyes lighting up. "Did you say, 'magical kingdom?'"

"That's right, Princess," Winifred confirmed with a gentle smile. "The ruler there, Master Elgraste (ɛl-grɑ-ste/El-grah-stay), is very much well-liked and respected. However, they've had issues in the past with outsiders trying to harvest their magic for themselves or corrupt their citizens. So, he set about limiting access to certain visitors—lawful rulers and magic wielders in particular."

"And if we were to go there," Cedric began, tapping the base of his fork on the table, "do you think we could establish some connections with them for Enchancia?"

Sofia finally frowned and reached over, putting her hand over Cedric's to still his consistent and annoying tapping. She rolled her eyes as he smiled apologetically.

"I don't see why not," Goodwyn replied. "Master Elgraste is an old and dear colleague of mine. You just tell him I sent you and that you're my son, and you shouldn't have any problems."

"It helps to have family ties," Sofia giggled. "So, I guess the next question is… How do we get there?"

"Through the Mystic Isles," Winifred responded. "And from what I hear, they are now utilizing something called a 'Transicloud' or whatever they named it."

Sofia's eyes lit up.

"Where you could fly directly into one, say the name of your destination, and—"

"And it sends you there?" Sofia finished, smiling as Winifred nodded. "I know exactly what you're talking about Mrs. Winifred." She glanced excitedly toward Cedric. "Can we go?"

"We have to go _back_ to the Mystic Isles?" he asked pitifully, sighing.

"Mr. Cedric, I thought you liked the Mystic Isles. You were so excited to tell me all about them a few years ago."

"Yes, well, that's before I met the most annoying, snippiest, most sarcastic _fairy_ ever."

" _Crystal_ fairy." She snickered as he scoffed.

"Whatever."

"Chrysta means well, just like you. And besides, we won't even have to see her, really. I know exactly where one of the Transiclouds is." She blinked as her mentor turned to give her a prying stare. "What?"

"And _why_ exactly do you know about those already?"

"Like you, Mr. Cedric, I'm full of secrets and surprises." She grinned as he groaned at her using his own words against him. "Actually, Skye showed one to me a few years ago when we were on a mission."

"That makes more sense, I suppose…" He returned his fork to his plate, nodding in resolution. "Why not? I say let's do it. If we could establish ties with them, it may be beneficial to all of us."

"This is true," Goodwyn admitted. "Master Elgraste has run a very successful and progressive kingdom for years now. If there's a definition of magical stability, it's Mahiya."

"Well, then," Sofia began, grinning, "next stop: Mahiya!"

To be continued…


	13. Shapes and Sizes

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: This chapter is relatively short compared to the others, but it is a sweet one. Again, this chapter leads us into the Mahiya adventures, which will become more complex as time goes on. Just a reference for the future chapters: Don't let things fool you. Things aren't always what they appear, but you all know that by now. 😉

Warning: FLUFF. This chapter is pure FLUFF. I think it may even be fluffier than the LAST fluff warning I gave. :p But you all seem to like fluff, so I'm sure you're going to be fine. Haha.

Note: I want to dedicate this chapter to Mr. Shortman92 and someone very special to him. Thank you for reading my stories, both for yourself and for her, and thank you for your loyalty and dedication to both of us. 😊It means a lot to me, and I know the same can be said for her.

* * *

 **Chapter 13  
Shapes and Sizes**

 **Summary: During the next part of their journey, Sofia makes a rather profound revelation about her perception of her friendship with Cedric.**

* * *

Cedric and Sofia finished their meal with Goodwyn and Winifred before bidding them goodbye for the time being. And, after what seemed to feel like a ten-minute group hug with Winifred, who urged them both to 'be careful but have fun,' they finally headed out yet again.

"I really like your mom," Sofia told her friend once they had set off into the air. "She has such a good heart and really cares about you."

He smiled and nodded, leaning back against the side of the coach and facing his apprentice in the process. "She cares a lot about you too. She thinks the world of you." He sighed thoughtfully. "I guess it runs in the family."

Sofia blushed modestly. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

The sorcerer smirked. "After all, Calista adores you too," he continued, causing her to fold her arms and glare at him, apparently perceiving his continuation as a misunderstanding of his previous words. He grinned as he carried on. "Oh, and Cordelia? She just goes on and on about you all the time. And my father respects you and your morals—"

"What about _you_ , Mr. Cedric?"

"Me?" He shrugged, irritating her further. "You're all right, I guess."

" _Mr. Cedric_ …"

He smiled, finally deciding to ease her worries—or more likely, her exasperation. "Of _course_ I care about you. _And_ I think the world of you, and admire you, and adore you, and…" He trailed off, noting the look of awe on his friend's face.

Sofia smiled playfully once the initial surprise faded. "And…?"

"And, well…"

The playful smile changed to one of compassion. "And you love me, don't you?"

Cedric sighed, folding his arms. "I've got to admit something to you, Sofia." He frowned. "I didn't know what love _was_ until you came into my life."

She gasped softly. "Mr. Cedric…"

"I mean, of course I knew about the familial love, and I cared for my parents, my sister, my niece…" He looked toward her seriously. "But I didn't know anything about unconditional love until I met you. I didn't realize _anyone_ could care so much about someone she'd barely just met, and then forgive him when he tried to do something stupid a few years later…without any second thought. You just…" He sighed, feeling uncomfortable with the current topic as his apprentice watched him quietly. "You gave me a chance… Which led to all of this—this traveling to other kingdoms this summer, not to mention reconciliation with my father and King Roland, and even Cordelia, now that I think about it. All of it was because of _you_."

She shook her head. "You made the decision to be a better person on your own, Mr. Cedric. I just wanted to help you realize there _was_ a decision."

"And I'll have you know that no one, not one person, stepped in to help me see the error of my ways until you came along. And I'm sure it's not that they didn't care. I just don't think other people are as intuitive as you are." He tapped his fingers against his arms as Sofia listened closely. "You see things others can't. You ask things others don't. You do things others won't. _That's_ why I changed, Sofia. Because you chose to be _that person_ —the one who _can_ make a difference." He reached out and gently patted her hand, causing her to smile, which he returned. "And that's why I can say… Yes, I _do_ love you. Because when you went through all the trouble of putting up with my arrogance, my anger, my irritability, my insecurities, my troubles, and you _still_ continued trying to make my life better… How can I _not_?"

Sofia smiled happily, a few tears in her eyes and her cheeks tinged pink in contentment, as she reached forward and hugged him. "I love you too, Mr. Cedric. And there's something I want you to know." She sat back, grasping his hands and looking at him sincerely. "No matter what happens—even if people try to tear us apart, or we argue, or something bad happens—it won't change anything. Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes, and I really think ours is something special." She giggled as he gently pressed his forehead to hers. "We're best friends, Mr. Cedric. Nothing can ever come between us."

"I couldn't agree more." He released her hands and looked at her worriedly when she made a soft sound of discomfort. "What is it?"

"N-Nothing…" She sat back on the seat and began caressing her hands.

"Your hands again?" He frowned as she nodded. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, Sofia. I promise you."

"What if I've been cursed?" she asked, a petrified look passing across her features. "My amulet—"

"—Has _no reason_ to curse you," he insisted. "You've done nothing wrong. It could be anything." And that's when he paused, a small jolt of fear shooting through him. What if it was something far more serious than they realized? What if it was…life threatening? He shuddered visibly at the thought of life without the kind-hearted princess, and it nearly brought him to tears, but he managed to stave it off.

"Mr. Cedric, are you okay?"

Even though _she_ was the one in pain, she still made sure _he_ was all right first. What had he done to deserve someone like Sofia in his life? "I'm fine, Sofia." He tugged off his fingerless gloves, forgoing the familiar rough material for the time being, and held out his hands to her, smiling as she hesitantly placed hers in his. "And you will be, too. I promise."

Sofia sighed with an appreciative smile as Cedric gently squeezed her hands. This time, they didn't hurt, which surprised and also intrigued her. Could Cedric hold the key to figuring out what was going on with her? Pushing the thought aside for now, she giggled softly. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric…"

To be continued…


	14. Ever Realm Magical Society

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: And here we go! This chapter begins the Mahiyan Adventures, I call them. You'll see a whole new kingdom/world (which you can find on AIM site under "Promotional Images") and many new characters as well. Some of the characters will be introduced in future chapters, and some you'll get to meet here. Again, keep your eyes peeled. A big revelation is coming up in the next chapter. 😉 It may be able to answer some questions!

* * *

 **Chapter 14  
Ever Realm Magical Society**

 **Summary: Cedric and Sofia travel to the secretive magical kingdom called Mahiya, which is run by a powerful wizard named Master Elgraste and his protégé Kitanya.**

* * *

The trip to Mystic Isles took about as long as the first time they visited a number of weeks ago. However, it felt even _longer_ to Sofia, because they were heading to a new land with a magical promise. She could hardly contain her excitement, and it showed on her face.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so excited to go somewhere," Cedric remarked, chuckling as they traveled onward.

"Your parents made it sound so neat," she admitted. "I can't wait to see what it's all about."

"Regardless, just keep in mind that this _is_ a new place to us, and no matter how 'magical' it seems, we still need to keep our wits about us, all right?" He sighed as she nodded. "But…" He smiled toward her. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited too."

She grinned and gently shook his arm. "Right? Ooh! This is going to be awesome!"

As they arrived in the Mystic Isles and proceeded forward, Sofia began keeping an eye out for the Transicloud that she and Skye had used a few years ago. "It's orange," she told her friend as she peered through the glass at the front of the coach. "And super fluffy."

"Well, that's informative," Cedric laughed as he helped her keep an eye out. "I suppose an orange cloud should be easy to distinguish among all the white ones anyway."

"Yeah. And when we're passing through, we have to say the name of our destination. Or at least that's what Skye said when we used it last."

"It's amazing the things you and that unicorn get up to without our knowledge." He smiled as she giggled.

"It's all part of being a Protector, Mr. Cedric." After a few more minutes of searching, Sofia gasped and tugged at Cedric's sleeve. "There it is! Right ahead!"

In fact, it seemed to be the exact same Transicloud from a few years ago. It was still orange, dense, and fluffy, but it appeared to have grown a bit too…probably about as big as the AutoCoach itself.

"And we merely need to say 'Mahiya' as we enter it, correct?" he clarified.

"Yes." She grinned enthusiastically. "Are you ready?"

He smiled at her enthusiasm. "Let's do it." He waved his wand, causing the AutoCoach to propel forward at a much faster rate.

Right as they reached the Transicloud, both friends yelled out, "Mahiya!" And thus, the AutoCoach disappeared from the Mystic Isles.

* * *

The scenery had altered once they'd entered the Transicloud, transporting them to a very majestic new area. Like the Mystic Isles, this place was surrounded with pastel-colored clouds and breathtaking scenery. From atop many of the clouds, cascading waterfalls poured down before dissipating into thin air. Numerous smaller clouds soared past their coach, though they appeared to have people riding on them, which both thought seemed strange. There were two large planetary bodies hovering in the distance: one much larger and a pale color with some soft pinks and blues on the surface, and one much smaller and darker with what resembled rainbow galaxies swirling on its surface. And there, in the largest cluster of clouds and floating land, resided a pastel-rainbow castle that appeared to be made of crystal.

"I think we're in Mahiya," Sofia whispered in awe, her blue eyes scanning the area with interest.

Cedric nodded, speechless. It was even more amazing than he'd believed it would be; of course, considering he'd gone all these years assuming this place was a myth, anything exceeded his expectations. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before pulling out his agenda. "All right, Father said we need to locate their leader: Master Elgraste. I'm going to assume he resides in that castle."

"Do you think he _is_ the king of this land then?" she wondered.

"Based on what my parents said, I'm almost certain that's the case. But I guess we'll have to wait and see." He used his wand to direct the AutoCoach toward the castle.

The closer they got to the castle, the more the clouds seemed to dissolve, leaving the area encompassing it clear and far more visible. Cedric guided the coach to a large blue tree (which baffled him a bit, but then he reminded himself that this land was far more magical and unexplored than most other lands), magically securing it to the base as he and his apprentice exited.

"Wow," Sofia breathed as she looked around, enamored by the beauty of their surroundings. "I can understand why they want to keep this place a secret," she reasoned. "If the wrong people found out about this, they'd probably destroy it or try to change it, and all the beauty would be ruined."

"Not to mention, the magic would be gone," Cedric added as he held out his hand to her, grasping hers as she reciprocated. He walked forward, the princess falling into step with him. "Stay close to me. We don't know this area well, and until we clear our names with Master Elgraste, we are essentially intruders here."

"Oh, great," she quipped sarcastically. "We're rebels." She grinned as he rolled his eyes.

They had hardly even approached the gates leading to the castle when two very muscular guards dressed in green armor blocked their paths with some rather heavy-looking sabers.

"State your names and your business here," the guard on the right demanded, his icy blue eyes bearing down on the visitors.

Cedric began stammering nervously, so Sofia shuffled him backwards and stepped up instead. "I'm Princess Sofia of Enchancia in the Ever Realm. This is my friend and our Royal Sorcerer Cedric the Great. We are here on behalf of Enchancia and Goodwyn the Great to see Master Elgraste."

"Master Elgraste does not receive visitors," the left guard informed them. "Regardless of recommendation or necessity." He narrowed his eyes and lifted his saber toward them threateningly, causing both to step back and Cedric to grasp Sofia's shoulders. "Outsiders are not welcome here."

Sofia's look of fear changed to one of disappointment. "But…"

"What seems to be the trouble here?" a distinctly sharp alto voice asked, causing everyone to turn. A slim woman stood behind the guards, her hands on her hips. She was olive-skinned with a form-fitting black dress that swept the ground, prying honey eyes, dark hair piled on top of her head in a bun, and a no-nonsense air about her. Next to her sat a fluffy white cat, green eyes staring at the strangers curiously.

"Lady Kitanya," the guards responded simultaneously, bowing respectfully.

"These two are Enchancians who have requested an audience with Master Elgraste," the left guard explained. "We were just telling them that we do not accept outsiders, nor does Master Elgraste receive visitors."

"What obtuse thinking," the woman scoffed, waving one hand. "Let them in."

"But…Master Elgraste said—" The right guard gulped as he noticed a long ebony wand now pointing directly at his face.

The woman, Kitanya, smiled challengingly. "I said let…them…in." The smile changed to a sweeter one. "Please."

"Y-Yes, milady…" The shaken guard turned to the baffled Enchancians. "Um… W-Welcome to Mahiya."

Cedric and Sofia exchanged glances before moving past the two guards and over to the Mahiyan woman.

"Oh, what of our AutoCoach?" Cedric asked in concern.

"I'll handle it," Kitanya assured him, gazing out the gate toward the coach that was tied to the tree. "Is that it?"

"Yes."

She smirked and waved her wand, chuckling in triumph as she managed to transport the magically-enhanced vehicle from quite a far distance and even past where they were standing. "I'm going to set it right outside the castle, near the maids' quarters." She nodded to herself as she broke the connection, smiling as the AutoCoach now resided where she'd indicated. "You say you're both here to meet Master Elgraste?"

"Yes," Sofia confirmed. "Sorry we've come unannounced. I guess we didn't really think about—"

"No worries," Kitanya assured her as she led them toward the castle, her cat following her. "The guards mean well, but sometimes I think they take their jobs a little _too_ seriously. If Master Elgraste told them to paint their toenails green, chase a bear with a stick filled with honey, and confess their love to a tuna fish, they'd probably do it."

Sofia giggled at the absurd mental image. "By the way, I'm Princess Sofia of Enchancia."

"I've heard of you," she told her, smirking. "The youngest Protector that the Mystic Isles has ever taken on. Protector of the Ever Realm, right?"

The princess smiled. "That's right!"

"Well, I haven't heard of anything detrimental happening to the Ever Realm, so I can only assume you're doing a fantastic job." She glanced toward Cedric, who seemed a bit quieter than his companion. "And you are…?"

"I'm Cedric the Sen—Great…" Even after two years, he still had to correct himself on his title every now and then. Sometimes he considered hyphenating, and Sofia had even once suggested, 'Cedric the Sensationally Great,' but it just sounded a bit too…flashy. "Cedric the Great."

"Ohh…" She shrugged. "Never heard of you."

Cedric sighed and hung his head as Sofia patted his arm. "No surprise there."

"Mr. Cedric is our royal sorcerer," the princess explained to the older woman. "And he's my guardian for now, because we're on a mission for my father."

The woman's honey eyes lit up in interest. "Oh?"

"Yeah! He made Mr. Cedric our Magical Ambassador, and we've been traveling to many kingdoms this summer to establish networks and magical connections with other rulers. Mr. Cedric's father suggested trying here, and so here we are." She giggled.

"Interesting…" Kitanya shrugged as her cat hurried ahead of them, pausing at the top of the steps. "Master Elgraste actually did implement a rule several years ago to stop accepting visitors here because of some issues, but we're supposed to be a progressive community. I don't mind us being a secret society, but blocking out networking opportunities is crazy to me, and that's coming from his protégé." She stopped a few steps up and leaned down, picking up the fluffy cat, stroking her fur.

" _You_ are his protégé?" Cedric asked, surprised.

The woman smirked as she glanced toward him. "Why do I always get that reaction? Girls can be protégés too…"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," he assured her. "I just…wasn't expecting it." He gestured toward Sofia. "In any case, Sofia is my apprentice, so I quite agree with you."

Kitanya laughed as she stroked the cat's fur. "You're awfully young to be a Protector, and now you're also a sorcerer's apprentice? You can't be much older than, what? Twelve?"

Sofia shook her head. "I'm fourteen."

"You're rather small for your age. No offense, Princess." She smiled as Sofia shrugged.

"I hear that a lot," she laughed. "I'm the shortest in my family, but it's fine. One of these days maybe I'll grow some more."

"Or you'll stay tiny and cute, like me," the cat purred, her voice like silk.

Sofia smiled toward the cat. "And what is your cat's name?"

"Her name is Tiya," Kitanya stated, placing the feisty feline on the ground as she struggled to get out of her grasp.

Tiya circled Sofia, brushing against her legs and wrapping her tail around the teen.

"She sure is…affectionate," the princess managed, smiling uncertainly. Since her father was allergic to cats, she hadn't exactly spent a lot of time around them, so she wasn't really sure how they normally acted. Dogs, bunnies, birds, and even flying horses and unicorns she was used to, but cats remained a mystery to her…even if she _had_ been transformed into a cat herself once.

"You'll get used to it." Kitanya stepped up to the large entrance and pushed open one of the doors, gazing back at the visitors. "Follow me."

* * *

The Enchancian duo had expected to be led to a throne room, like in all the other kingdoms. However, Kitanya led them directly through the castle and out the back side, into an open-air area that was unlike anything they'd ever seen before.

There were numerous floating clouds similar to what they'd seen on the way in, complete with people sitting or lying down on them; Kitanya explained that they were called _airlows_ —air pillows, essentially, made of thickened clouds. There were endless vanishing waterfalls in the distance. The whole place was lit up with colorful reflected lights and rainbows, highlighting everything. There were also different floating capsules, which Kitanya explained were either homes or workplaces. It was amazing.

"Welcome to Mahiya," the woman proclaimed, smirking at their look of awe. "Master Elgraste is in the Crystal Tower. Just follow this pathway, and you'll find him." She gestured toward a cobblestone road that glistened gold and ruby.

"You're not coming with us?" Sofia asked as she watched Tiya jump into her owner's arms.

"Sorry, Princess. I have some work to tend to. Just tell him Kitanya sent you." She nodded and walked off, disappearing into the castle again.

"A lot of help _she_ is," Cedric grumbled, yelping as Sofia grabbed his arm and tugged him along.

* * *

The streets and different buildings were filled with all sorts of people and magical creatures, each going about their daily lives as Sofia and Cedric moved along. It was such a lively and wonderful atmosphere that it was hard to remember that this was a secluded, private, locked-down place, with very few (if any) welcomed outsiders. If they were honest with themselves, they were lucky they hadn't been turned away.

The Crystal Tower was a translucent blue with a slight glow to it, which made it rather appealing. Numerous flowers and berry bushes surrounded it, offering even more natural beauty to the region. Cedric and Sofia entered the tower via the small opening and found themselves standing in a hollow area—no stairs, no dumbwaiter, _nothing_ … Just dark emptiness.

Sofia gazed toward Cedric as he illuminated the area with his wand in order to dispel the darkness. "Are we in the right place?"

"That depends," responded a mysterious new voice, though it seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "Why are you here?"

Cedric tried to look around with his wand, but he was unable to locate the owner of the voice. "We are here on behalf of King Roland of Enchancia. My father, Goodwyn the Great, informed me of Master Elgraste and his Mahiyan kingdom, and how we might be able to…communicate?"

The tower grew still until the darkness broke, magical lighting suddenly filling the room. "Why didn't you say so?"

The two friends paused before turning after hearing a voice behind them.

There, at the back of the tower, stood an older man who was probably in his sixties or seventies. His sun-kissed complexion was offset by his long white hair, which cascaded over a long dark tunic with golden buttons. His black slacks and shoes completed his outfit. A salt-and-pepper beard and mustache covered his face, and his dark brown eyes peered at the visitors curiously. "I am whom you seek: I am Elgraste of Mahiya." He stepped toward the two visitors, his worn hands clasping behind his back as he smiled warmly toward them. "And might I ask your names?"

"I'm Sofia," the princess responded. "Princess Sofia of Enchancia."

"I'm familiar with your name and your reputation, young one," the man responded kindly. "I never imagined I would ever meet you though." He turned toward Cedric. "Goodwyn the Great is your father…" Seeing the sorcerer nod, he chuckled. "That must make you Cedric then. He spoke of you and your sister often when you were children."

Cedric blinked in surprise. "He did?"

Sofia giggled and nudged him playfully. "Of course he did."

"Oh, yes," Master Elgraste chuckled. "He would speak of the two toddlers who were constantly bickering in baby babble. And something about 'Little Cedric found a pair of bloomers and wore them on his head like a hat' or something."

Cedric blushed fiercely at the unexpected tale as Sofia snickered. "Um, anyway! That's neither here nor there…" He cleared his throat to maintain his composure. "Allow me to explain our mission, sir."

And so he did, with Sofia's help. They spoke of their travels, their magical connections and networking, their purpose, and anything necessary to make the Mahiyan ruler feel more at ease.

"So you are part of the Ever Realm Magical Society," Master Elgraste reasoned.

"The what?" Sofia asked.

"You've never heard of ERMS?" With a wave of his hand, the older man created a holographic image of the society and its logo, which was just an image of two wooden wands crossed over a background of the earth, with ERMS written across the top in gold lettering. "All of the most prominent magic wielders who work as Magical Ambassadors belong to the Ever Realm Magical Society— _if_ they're from the Ever Realm, of course." He lowered his hand, causing the hologram to disappear. "I imagine you'll be inducted upon your return, if your journey is a successful one."

"It will be," Sofia assured him. "Mr. Cedric has done a wonderful job as our Magical Ambassador. The ERMS would be lucky to have him in it."

Cedric smiled fondly at her.

Master Elgraste chuckled. "I admire your confidence in your friend, Princess Sofia. Now then, I'm sure you've had a long journey. I would be glad to accommodate both of you for as long as you need, on one condition."

"What's that?" the younger sorcerer inquired.

"We have some Mahiyan children here who could use some outside perspective when it comes to magic. As you are a sorcerer, Cedric, and the princess is your apprentice, I imagine you both would be great influences on these little ones. I'd like you to teach them for a few hours tomorrow, just so I can get an idea of your magical abilities. It is all a part of the Magical Ambassador process in our realm; I'm sure you understand." He smiled.

"It always comes back to teaching," Cedric murmured to Sofia, who smiled and shrugged. He sighed and nodded. "Very well, Master Elgraste. We'd be honored."

"Wonderful. I'll show you to a few guest rooms so that you can get settled, and I'll have your luggage sent to you." He blinked as he observed the visitors. "You _did_ bring luggage, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sofia told him. "Your apprentice—eh, protégé—Kitanya said she put it outside the castle."

"Ah, I see. I'll have some of my guards deliver it then. And I'll have some food sent to you as well." He beckoned them forth. "Follow me."

* * *

A while later, Cedric and Sofia found themselves in one of the floating capsules, which Master Elgraste called apartments. The apartment was separated into two private quarters, complete with a living room with a fireplace, a small kitchenette, a powder room, and a 'magic room.' The last room happened to be exactly what it sounded like: a room where visitors could practice magic of any sort, including wand magic, potions, and so forth. Their luggage was stored in both of their own bedrooms, and the food the older wizard had ordered for them was now either in the pantry or lying along the wooden cabinets.

The layout was as such: the front door opened directly into the kitchenette. To the left was the door that led to the magic room. Moving through the exit of the kitchenette took them into the open and well-furnished living room, which contained two red sofas and a dark brown recliner near the fireplace. There was a window behind the second sofa that overlooked the kingdom. The other half of the living room doubled as a small dining room, where the visitors could sit and eat. Walking down the hallway that separated the living room and kitchenette took them to the first bedroom on the left (Sofia's), the second bedroom all the way down the hall (Cedric's) and the powder room to the right, situated directly across from Sofia's room.

Once they'd eaten their meal for the evening, Cedric and Sofia decided to check out their bedrooms. Although they were smaller than the ones in Helvetica, they were still rather nice. Both contained a canopy bed draped with deep blue curtains and black comforters and sheets, a trunk for storing any extra items, a window seat (which delighted Sofia, since it reminded her of her own bedroom in Enchancia), a wardrobe, a writing desk, a couple of nightstands on either side of the bed, and a chessboard setup.

"This is probably the closest to 'home' I've felt in a while," Sofia admitted as she and Cedric stood in the doorway to her room, looking it over. "It reminds me a bit of my room."

"It's very nice," Cedric echoed with a nod before yawning. "I think I'm going to head to bed. You should probably do the same, since we have to teach _children_ tomorrow."

She grinned before hurrying over and hopping onto her bed. "I'm too energetic to sleep right now, Mr. Cedric." She kicked off her purple boots before standing up and bouncing a bit on the mattress. "Ooh, this is awesome! I haven't done this since I was a little kid!"

"Sofia, you're _still_ a kid sometimes." He rolled his eyes and folded his arms as he leaned in the doorway.

"Come on, Mr. Cedric! It's fun!"

He waved one hand. "No, thanks. I'd rather not break the bed." He smirked as she started laughing, and he walked over to the edge of the bed. "Come on, now. That's enough. Get down before you hurt yourself."

She grinned mischievously. "You want me to stop, huh?"

"Ye—Sofia, wait!" Before he could say more, he reacted on instinct and reached out just in time as she bounced from the bed and toward him. He caught her before she could fall to the floor. "I wish you would warn me before you do things like that…" He sighed and leaned against the bed, still holding onto her. He then gave her a pointed smirk. "You're still the same cheeky princess I've always known, aren't you?"

"Guilty." She giggled and hugged him, smiling as he returned it. "Good night, Mr. Cedric. Sleep well."

"Good night, my dear. No more bouncing on the bed." He actually stood, still holding her, and pushed the covers aside before placing her onto the bed. He tapped her forehead gently with his finger and smiled. "Get some rest. I'm right down the hallway if you need me." With that, he turned and left for his own room, closing the door behind him.

The princess smiled thoughtfully before sliding from the bed and heading toward her luggage. She paused and changed her mind, withdrawing her wand from one of her bags instead. "Let's give this a try…" She pointed the wand at herself. " _Circe_." She grinned as a pair of pink pajama pants and a purple long-sleeved button-up shirt appeared on herself. "Awesome! Now I know why Mr. Cedric loves just using his wand all the time." She then paused and pondered to herself. "Heh, I bet he doesn't even know how to put on his socks without magic." She snickered before putting the wand away and hurrying back to her bed, hopping onto it and reaching up, untying her hair from the ponytail. She shook out her hair as she set the band aside and lowered under the covers, pulling them over her as she sighed in contentment, drifting off to sleep.

Mahiya was a quiet place at night in contrast to the busy bustling of the day. But, like the two friends had come to realize, beneath the blanket of calm and quiet is sometimes a dark secret, preparing to erupt. And Mahiya was no different…

To be continued…


	15. Magic Knows No Limits

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: All right, everyone! Time to meet some more Mahiyan citizens and find out a secret or two. 😉 As excited as I am for this chapter, I've got to be honest… The NEXT chapter is when I'm revealing a very special original character—someone near and dear to my heart—and I can't wait for you all to meet that person. 😊 The character was inspired by a few different people I've either met personally or heard about, and partially my own mother. I'll explain more on that later!

* * *

 **Chapter 15  
Magic Knows No Limits**

 **Summary: Master Elgraste challenges Sofia and Cedric to help three Mahiyan children in their efforts to become full-fledged magic users.**

* * *

"Sofia, wake up."

Sofia blinked her eyes open slowly and yawned, whining a bit at the intruding sun. She pulled the covers back over her head, sighing. "Five more minutes."

"You're going to be late."

"For what?"

"For your destiny."

The auburn-haired girl frowned as she finally made a connection. The voice speaking to her didn't sound like Cedric's. It didn't sound like Amber's or James's…or anyone else except… She slowly lowered her covers and gasped. "You're me!"

The lookalike folded her arms and glared at her. "Perceptive. In case you haven't put two and two together, this is a dream."

"Ugh, I realize that, but why am I talking to myself? …Or however I should describe this…" She sat up, holding a hand to her head.

"You have been inexcusably clueless the last few weeks."

Sofia frowned. "I _know_ the word 'inexcusably?'" She lowered her hand and shrank backwards as her double growled at her.

"This is serious! You need to pay attention to what's going on around you, Sofia. You really think all these little things that have been happening to you or around you are just coincidences? Don't you know that nothing's ever what it seems?" She firmly grabbed the teen's hands, frowning as she winced in pain. "Everything you know or think may be just the opposite. What seems awful can be wonderful, and what seems wonderful can be deceiving."

Sofia whimpered at the all-too-familiar feeling of the sharp, fierce, burning tingling shooting through her hands. "Stop, please!"

"Wake up!"

"No!"

 **"Sofia!"**

* * *

Sofia jolted up from her bed, gasping as she looked around desperately, noting that her double was no longer there. Instead, Cedric stood next to her, a rather concerned look on his face. "Mr. Cedric?"

"I tried to wake you up earlier, but you seemed to be having a rather fitful dream." His eyes fell to her hands, which she was nervously tracing once more. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know anymore, Mr. Cedric," she sighed, giving him a beseeching look. "I had a dream that I met _myself_. She told me that I haven't been paying attention, and that things aren't what they seem. Something about, 'what seems awful can be wonderful, and what seems wonderful can be…' Um, something? Bad? I don't know." She shook her head. "It's kind of fuzzy now. But I woke up with my hands stinging again."

"Yes, we need to figure that conundrum out. I can't stand seeing you in that much pain." He conjured his small green jar of pain-relieving potion that he'd used on her hands once before and removed his fingerless gloves, setting them aside, before gently turning her palms up. "Hold still."

Sofia watched as he lightly massaged the potion into her skin, making sure to coat her palms, her fingers, and the back of her hands as well.

"Wear your Protector gloves today," he insisted as he removed her GuardoRing and placed it aside on the nightstand. "You can put your GuardoRing and Enchantlet over them. But your hands need some time to heal properly." He replaced his own fingerless gloves soon afterward.

"Thanks, Mr. Cedric…" She smiled as he began walking toward the door. "I'll get dressed and meet you for breakfast."

He nodded as he stood beside her doorway. "Sounds good."

As he left, Sofia plopped back against her pillows, her eyes peering at the top of the canopy bed, as if seeking answers that clearly weren't there. "I really wish we could get some clarity," she murmured, instantly looking down at her amulet, which stayed stagnant. She scoffed. "Oh, sure. When I _actually_ want a wish granted, you do nothing. I see how it is." She rolled her eyes before yawning and finally vacating the bed so that she could get ready for the day.

* * *

A little over an hour later after the Enchancian friends had fully dressed and eaten, they met up with Master Elgraste in the Mahiyan Magic Training Camp, which was located a little ways from the central area of the kingdom. In fact, they'd had to use a few tunnels to exit to the camp: a luscious and well-vegetated area.

Three young children were seated on large boulders, listening to Master Elgraste speak to them, even as Sofia and Cedric arrived at the scene.

"…And you are expected to give it your very best try," the old man concluded with a large smile as his visitors approached. "Ah, here they are now. Children, these are your temporary trainers for the day. Say hello to Mr. Cedric and Princess Sofia." As the children did so, he chuckled. "And allow me to introduce your new charges: Maliana, Cadence, and Lennox."

The three children stared at their new trainers in awe. Never could they have imagined that a _real_ princess and a respected sorcerer would be willing to work with them.

Maliana was a ten-year-old girl with hip-length dark brown hair tied back half-way and dark curious eyes. She, like Master Elgraste, had a darker complexion. She wore a simple pink dress with dark tights and matching pink shoes. She seemed to be the most focused of the trio, probably due to her older age.

Next was Cadence, an eight-year-old boy whom Master Elgraste introduced as Maliana's cousin. He had the same skin tone as his cousin, though he possessed stormy blue eyes and a mop of messy black hair. He seemed to prefer darker colors, as indicated by his blue tunic and dark slacks. A pair of black buckled shoes finished off his look. He appeared to be a bit more outgoing than his cousin, and he couldn't stop smiling at Sofia, who found the gesture both endearing and bothersome at the same time.

Last but not least was the six-year-old blonde girl named Lennox. She was not related to the other two, but she was a very dear friend of theirs. Lennox's long, wispy blonde hair danced around her shoulders, framing her slim fair-skinned face. Her large baby blue eyes were a key feature, as they reflected a sense of wonder and innocence, which Sofia both admired and longed to have again, those days of childlike wonder now mostly a thing of her past. The little blonde girl seemed to prefer a similar style to Maliana, though her knee-length pink and white dress had a few heart-shaped designs etched into the fabric. Her pink flats completed her ensemble.

"Are you a real princess?" Lennox gasped in awe, staring at the teenager with her mouth hanging open.

Sofia laughed, nodding as she sat down on a boulder across from them, Cedric following her example and sitting next to her. "I am. You can call me Sofia though."

Lennox grinned. "Ooh! Sofia! I love that name!" She clasped her hands together. "I think I'll name my grasshopper that!"

Maliana rolled her eyes as Sofia laughed uncertainly. "Forgive her," she sighed. "Lennox is a bit of a bubble-head."

Master Elgraste chuckled as he placed one hand on Cedric's left shoulder and the other on Sofia's right shoulder. "I'll leave you two to it then. Just anything you can teach them in a span of few hours, that will be wonderful. They are here to learn, specially chosen by the Mahiyan Magic Board." He glanced toward the trio. "Be good and learn much."

"Yes, Master Elgraste," they chorused, smiling sincerely as the old man left.

"Well, then," Cedric began, a bit out of practice coaching multiple children at once, "let's start with the basics. How much magic do you three actually know?"

"A bit," Cadence responded, giggling. "I like potions best, but I can also do this." He held out his hand, concentrating, and grinned as a rock lifted up from the ground before soaring through the air as he mimicked the motion of tossing it.

"Impressive," Cedric admitted with a nod. "What about you, my dear?" he asked, turning to Maliana next.

She smiled. "My favorite and best magical ability is doing transformation spells. I can transform anything into…well, anything." She laughed before pulling out what appeared to be a pink training wand and pointing it at a budding flower. " _Mutata ranam_." She grinned triumphantly as the flower successfully changed into a frog, which croaked in confusion before hopping away.

Sofia smiled excitedly. "That's ah-mazing! Nice job, Maliana." She then turned toward the little boy, who was still smiling dreamily at her. She blinked before asking, "Um, Cadence, are you okay?"

He sighed. "Yes, Princess Sofia… Hee-hee…"

Cedric rolled his eyes at the boy's clear display of affection toward his apprentice before clearing his throat, getting the others' attention. "Right then, what of you, little one?" he asked, his attention now fully on Lennox.

"Oh, I can…" She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I dunno what it's called."

"She has magical music talent," Maliana informed them. "She can play any musical instrument, and when she does, it has a magical effect on different things."

Cedric tilted his head. "Such as?"

"She played the violin one day, and it started causing daisies to grow from the ground." The oldest student gestured vaguely as the little blonde smiled proudly. "And yesterday she was practicing the flute, and a rainbow appeared out of nowhere."

"Wow!" Sofia gushed, amazed by the stories. "That's neat. I'm starting to wonder why you guys even _need_ our help."

"I think Master Elgraste wants us to cultivate their talents," Cedric told her with a small nod to himself. "In a magical kingdom such as this, it would certainly make sense."

* * *

And so, that's exactly what they did. For the next few hours, Cedric and Sofia shared the responsibility of training with their students and helping them better their magical abilities. With Cadence, Cedric showed the little boy the perfect potions and formulas he could create for his own age group. He also helped him hone his concentration skills as he focused on magically transporting things from one location to another.

Sofia worked with the girls, urging them to stay focused, positive, and prepared as they conducted their magic. With the utmost concentration (and energy, of course), Maliana transformed an entire tree into a small tower.

"Wow!" Lennox gasped as she held onto her flute, which she'd brought with her in a small backpack. "That's really neat, Mali! How did you do that?"

"Practice," the older girl quipped with a small laugh. "What about you, Lennox? Are you ready to show Sofia your magic?"

"My magic's so boring compared to you guys," she sighed, pouting.

"Are you kidding?" Sofia knelt to the young girl and shook her head, smiling. "You can make rainbows when you play an instrument, Lennox. How many other kids can say that?"

"Like two and a half," she replied, baffling the princess. "My older sisters and my super tiny little brother. Well, he sort of can. He beat on a drum the other day and made a tiny sunshine."

"Why is that cute?" Cedric asked, distracted by the girls' conversation.

Sofia laughed and shrugged before placing her gloved hands on the little girl's shoulders. "Just focus and do your best. You have amazing talent, Lennox. And _everyone_ loves rainbows."

"Okay," Lennox consented, lifting her flute to her lips. "Here goes." With a quick breath in, the little girl began playing a flourish of the most beautiful music any of the group had ever heard. She was able to create musical combinations that no one had ever considered, and at some points, it even sounded like there might be another flute harmonizing with hers. Now _that_ was truly magical.

Before long, a large rainbow spouted from the end of the flute, stretching across the sky and ending somewhere on the other side of Mahiya.

"That's amazing!" Cedric gasped as he and Cadence walked back over to them. "Never have I seen something so unique…"

"See?" Maliana giggled as Lennox lowered her flute and grinned proudly. "Mr. Cedric loved it!"

"Thanks, guys," the little girl said shyly with a pleased smile.

"Ooh, look!" Cadence exclaimed, pointing toward a tree in the distance. "It's a cake fruit tree!" He began hurrying toward the tall tree. "Come on, you guys! Let's get some!"

"I remember cake fruit," Sofia laughed. "They had some on Princess Ivy's island." She and Cedric followed along behind the three kids, who all took off hurriedly toward the tree.

"Cake fruit," the sorcerer repeated, rolling his eyes. "Well, that's _one_ way to introduce fruit to the little ones, I suppose. Though I'm not inclined to believe it's a 'healthy' choice."

"Healthy, shmealthy," Lennox retorted, laughing. "Cake fruit is awesome! And my favorite!"

As they reached the tree, Cadence began climbing, eager to get to the cluster of fruits dangling from the tree. He grinned at the quartet below. "Hands up if you want some!"

"I'd prefer it if you get down, actually," Cedric countered, hands on his hips. "I'd rather not be liable should something happen to you."

"I climb trees all the time," the boy argued, scooting out a bit farther onto the thick branch as he plucked off several pieces of fruit, tossing them down to the awaiting hands of Lennox and Maliana. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Famous last words," Cedric murmured to Sofia, who nodded.

Sofia frowned as she felt a familiar and very unwelcome tingling in her hands, despite the fact that she was wearing her gloves. She discreetly tugged them off, pocketed them, and replaced her Enchantlet and GuardoRing before observing her bare hands. They looked normal, of course, but the burning sensation seemed to be growing worse somehow. Still, she couldn't let anyone know right now. She didn't want to worry the kids, and Cedric probably wouldn't be able to do anything about it at the moment anyway. "Mm…"

"Sofia?" Cedric glanced toward his apprentice, frowning, recognizing the familiar whimper of pain she'd been more inclined to recently. "What is-?"

"Ahh!"

Everyone on the ground gasped as they looked up, seeing that Cadence had just slipped and was now hanging onto the branch in fear.

"Hang on, Cadence!" Lennox urged, her blue eyes wide in fear for her friend's safety.

"Yeah, we'll save you!" Maliana called. She looked desperately toward Cedric. "Save him, Mr. Cedric!"

"Oh, where's my blasted wand?" he panicked, searching through his robe.

Sofia's eyes widened as the boy lost his grip and began falling. Reacting instinctively, she reached out her hands in his direction. However, instead of catching him, she… The girl blinked as she realized that Cadence was now floating midair, surrounded by…magic? "What…? H-How is this possible?"

Cedric gaped at her in shock. _That_ would explain some things… But he'd have to talk to her later, in private. He couldn't alarm the children. Finally locating his wand, he took over and utilized a spell to help the boy slowly and safely lower to the ground.

"You're all right!" Maliana sighed as she hugged her cousin. She then whacked him upside the head.

"OW!" He pouted as he rubbed his head, his stormy blue eyes narrowed at the older girl. "What was that for?"

"Dummy, don't go climbing trees and putting yourself in danger for cake fruit. Use magic, like everyone else."

"Only in a magic world can you get away with saying that," Sofia joked, though she noticed her mentor watching her carefully. She quickly turned away, avoiding his gaze for now.

"Thanks for saving me, Mr. Cedric," Cadence gushed.

"Even if he _did_ do something dumb," Lennox added, grinning as the boy pouted.

"Huh?" Cedric finally ceased his observation of the Enchancian teen and nodded toward Cadence. "Er, you're welcome… Say, let's wrap this up so that we can get you all back to Master Elgraste and report on what a fantastic job you did today. Minus the tree thing."

Cadence grinned guiltily. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

* * *

After returning the children to the kingdom and passing along word of their successful magical training, Cedric and Sofia returned to their apartment. The tension was rather palatable between them now, but it was more of an anxious tension than anything. Where one question ended, another one had popped up in its place.

Once they were settled in Sofia's room, sitting on her window seat together, Sofia finally broke her silence. "Don't ask me what happened," she finally told him, frowning as she pulled her legs up to her chin. "I just…reacted on instinct. I didn't know I could…do whatever I did."

"Of all the things this mysterious issue of yours could have been, never would I have guessed this." He reached for her hands, gently holding them. "You created hand magic, Sofia."

She frowned curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I used to do it often when I was a child. I still do on occasion, though my wand is my main magic source now. Hand magic is exactly as it sounds: creating magic with your hands. To be perfectly honest, though, I'm quite surprised _you_ are able to do so."

"So, this hand magic is what's been causing the pain in my hands?" Seeing him nod thoughtfully, she sighed, eyeing their clasped hands. "Why does it hurt so much?"

"I can make an educated guess." He gently caressed her palms with his fingers, trying to sooth the pain in any way he could. "You don't have a magical lineage. However, my theory is that this is circumstantial. You have spent years wearing and using the Amulet of Avalor. You've used numerous wands. You've worn and used an Enchantlet. You've been granted powers by the amulet. You've hosted a princess, who's turned out to have powers of her own." He shrugged. "I theorize that all that magic might have tapped into your energy…and perhaps your lifeforce."

Sofia's eyes widened considerably. "What?"

"You and Princess Elena were connected, right? Since you've gained all these abilities and blessings, it's possible that over the years, the magic has been building up inside of you. Don't ask me how, because I'm not sure."

"So, what do I do now?" She glanced toward her hands, which had suddenly begun feeling better—no pain or burning sensations left.

"I'll show you how to use the magic safely," he volunteered. "Also, I'll have to demonstrate how to block it off when you're not using it. One thing to realize is that this type of magic requires a great deal of energy, which _can_ drain you pretty quickly. If not properly used, it could also cause you to pass out."

Sofia nodded uncertainly.

"I'll help you nurture this. I promise. It's nothing to fear; just be aware of it and how to use it properly." He sighed in relief as he laughed softly. "To be honest, I'm rather glad it turned out to be hand magic and not…something far more serious."

Sofia smiled fondly at him as she noticed the calmer look on her friend's face. "So am I… You said you can still use hand magic too?"

He nodded and tugged off his gloves, concentrating a bit before chuckling as a small magical spark snapped in the center of his hands, followed by a thin layer of magic.

"Wow… So I'm not alone."

Cedric shook his head and raised both of his hands, smiling as she lifted her own hands and held them to his, the magic pouring from his palms colliding with the magic now seeping from hers. "You never were, Sofia. Don't worry." His expression became focused yet tender as she watched him attentively. "I'll help you every step of the way. I promise."

To be continued…


	16. Dex and Brex

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: In here you'll see a familiar face if you've read some of my other stories with the OC, and you'll meet my new one, whom I just adore. 😊 Based on the summary, you can get a glimpse at what a bit of her background is, but of course there's much more than that. 😉

Note: References to "Never Enough" and "All Aboard" in here.

* * *

 **Chapter 16  
Dex and Brex**

 **Summary: Cedric and Sofia meet two more promising magic users in Mahiya named Dexter (a promising young wizard whom Sofia first encountered a few years ago) and his little sister Brexley (a deaf-mute five-year-old girl with a knack for magical art).**

* * *

Sofia awoke in the middle of the night to a loud clap of thunder. She frowned thoughtfully as she slid from her bed and shuffled over to the window, pulling the curtain aside and gazing out the glass at the area. The quick strike of lightning illuminated the area just enough for her to see the torrents of rain cascading to the surface.

Considering Mahiya's elevated location, she was a bit baffled with the way weather worked here, but she supposed it was still low enough in the atmosphere to fall prey to the variety of meteorological patterns. Then again, it was late, and her mind was a little hazy from having been asleep, so she couldn't fathom why she would or should care about the rain right now.

She sat down in the window seat and glanced down at her hands, which were but a vague outline in the darkness until another flash of lightning set them on display. They looked normal, as usual. They even felt fine now. In fact, ever since discovering her hand magic ability yesterday, and actually _using_ the magic for the first time, the burning sensation hadn't returned. If anything, she only felt a very dull pulsating just beneath her skin—like the magic was coursing through her veins and circulating through her bloodstream or something. It was a weird thing to think about. She didn't even know _how_ it worked, and she doubted she ever would.

It was a calming realization, however, discovering that she wasn't alone in her unexpected magical ability. Cedric also had the power of hand magic, as he had demonstrated a few hours ago. In fact, she knew about this. She'd seen him create hand magic on more than one occasion the last several years that they'd known each other, though neither had ever questioned it or drawn attention to it until it happened to _her_. It just seemed like such a personal, undiscussed ability… If that made any sense. In Sofia's view, it was one thing to wield a wand (just about anyone could do so, given his or her ability and concentration), but it was another thing entirely to have literal magic burst forth from your own fingertips.

She shook her head a few times as yet another clap of thunder disrupted her train of thought. It was much too late —or too early —to think about this. Granted, it seemed like most deep thoughts tended to take place around this time, in her experience, but still…

She sat in the window seat for a while, listening to the rain and trying to urge herself to relax a bit more so that she could get back to bed and go to sleep again. However, she found it increasingly difficult as a bunch of thoughts suddenly clouded her mind.

 _What will Mom and Dad think when they find out I can do hand magic?_

 _Will they be okay with it?_

 _Should I even tell them?_

 _What about James and Amber? I tell Amber almost everything, but…_

 _Does this mean something important for me?_

 _Am I supposed to do something with this new power?_

 _Can I handle it?_

… _Or will_ _ **it**_ _handle_ _ **me**_ _?_

She shivered a bit at that final thought, standing shakily to her feet as another clap of thunder echoed throughout the kingdom, the rain pouring even harder, if it was possible. She decided to try to get some more sleep, regardless of her restless mind. She knew very well that the time spent in Mahiya was important, especially as they still had connections to establish and impressions to make. Sometimes being an 'honorary ambassador,' or whatever she was classified as, was challenging and even draining. In fact, she hoped for another break soon… Like the time Cedric had taken her to the ocean and just let them sit and talk for a while. She could use another time like that…

Propping up against her pillows and pulling the heavy comforter and sheets over herself, Sofia stared into the darkness for a long time—perhaps half an hour, though she wasn't entirely sure. Her mind had yet to slow down, despite how tired she was. Several more minutes passed by, and she realized that sleep just didn't seem to be an option for her.

Desperate for a solution, she stood up once again, tugging her lavender pajama shirt down over her matching pants and tossing her braided hair behind her back. She knelt next to the foot of the bed and opened the trunk, withdrawing a thick purple blanket and wrapping it around herself. Satisfied, she stood and sighed once before leaving the room.

A few gentle knocks on the door at the end of the hall proved fruitless as Sofia realized it wasn't going to open. Pressing her ear to the door, she listened, hearing nothing. Only the heavy storm outside was audible at this point. She sighed, resigning herself to her limited options. "Sorry, Mr. Cedric," she mumbled softly to herself before gently pushing his door open, silently chastising herself for not bringing a lamp or something with her to navigate the darkness.

Luckily, another round of lightning lit up his room, which she found was set up nearly identically to hers, and she was able to make her way over to her sleeping mentor a bit easier. She smiled as she saw that he appeared to be fast asleep, his breathing deep and even. ' _Wish I could sleep like that_ ,' she thought to herself, frowning.

She reached out one hand and paused. She couldn't wake him up. As far as she knew, Cedric was generally a light sleeper as it was. She knew from past experiences that he would often work late into the night on a project, a potion, or whatever else (often for her father), and then he'd be expected to work a normal shift the next day, with little to no sleep from the previous day. While she didn't find it fair, he'd apparently considered it 'normal' and had developed special potions to help him stay focused and moderately energetic enough to accomplish his daily quota.

To actually see him sleeping now, and so soundly, made her rather happy. He didn't have those rigid expectations at the moment (from her father or from himself), and even though this was still classified as a business adventure, it was a bit of a break for him as well.

"I can't," she told herself softly as she lowered her hand to the blanket she'd wrapped around her shoulders, clasping it in the front. Sighing, she turned to leave, but she paused when she heard a stirring behind her. She turned back in time to see Cedric slowly sitting up against his pillows and lighting the lamp beside the bed.

"Sofia?" he asked curiously, his voice a bit dense and drowsy since he'd been lost in heavy sleep mere moments ago. "What is it? Are you all right?"

She couldn't bother him with her thoughts. Not now. She put on her best smile and nodded. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep, Mr. Cedric."

"Then why are you in my room?" He narrowed his eyes toward his apprentice, studying her movements. This whole trip, she'd slept through the night. Now he awoke to find her standing right next to him, looking like a lost little child? It didn't make any sense.

"I…was checking on you." She nodded toward the window, through which they could see the rain pouring down. "It's storming, and I was—"

"Don't make excuses," he interjected, his tone more concerned than reprimanding. "I think I know you better than that at this point."

She frowned. He was right. She should have known he'd see through her cover story. She sighed. "I can't sleep," she admitted. "The storm woke me up, but when I tried to go back to sleep, I started thinking about the hand magic, and about what my family would think. And then I wondered if I could even handle this new type of power, or if it will overpower _me_ in the end…" She lowered her head, averting her gaze as he watched her. "Maybe I'm not as strong as you guys think I am, Mr. Cedric…"

Cedric observed her for only a few moments more before moving over to the center of the bed and pushing the blankets aside. "Sit down for a bit. We need to talk."

The princess sighed but complied, watching as he covered them both up with his sheets and comforter before leaning against a stack of pillows and facing her. "Nothing good ever comes out of those words…"

"I won't lecture you, Sofia. You're far too smart and mature for that. However, I _will_ give you some advice." Seeing her nod, he continued, "I understand that discovering this new power is rather frightening for you. I'm sure you're afraid of the possibility of it being too much to handle. And you've mentioned the uncertainty of how your family will react. Well, as I told you earlier, I'll help you figure out how to use this magic safely and effectively. It will be fine. And, to be quite honest, if your parents and siblings can't handle discovering yet another powerful ability you possess, after everything you've already accomplished and revealed the last few years, I'll be rather surprised." He chuckled as she finally smiled with a small laugh. "The Sofia I know is strong and courageous, proud of her role as a princess, fully capable as a Protector, and focused as a student. The Sofia I know can do anything, as long as she believes in herself."

"And you believe in me, Mr. Cedric?"

He smiled tenderly toward her, nodding and accommodating her as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his left arm around her, gently patting her own blanketed arm. "I most certainly do. Always have, always will."

The thunder rolled a bit softer outside, but the rain never ceased.

"I think that's what I needed to hear," Sofia confessed, smiling toward her friend as she looked at him. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

He smirked. "I would say, 'Any time,' but I'm afraid you'll take that too literally and wake me up at three in the morning again." He chuckled as she flushed in embarrassment. "But you're more than welcome, my dear. Do you think you can get some sleep now?"

"Can't I just sleep here?" she asked playfully, draping the blanket over her head and grinning cutely at her mentor. "I think your bed is fluffier anyway."

Cedric scoffed, shaking his head. "Get out of my bed, you silly girl. Off with you."

She giggled and shrugged, sliding to the floor and pulling the blanket around her again. "Fine. I see how it is." Her playful nature settled down, and an appreciative smile made its way to her face. "But really, Mr. Cedric… Thank you."

He returned the smile as he relaxed under his covers again before reaching for the lamp. "You're welcome, Sofia. Sleep well." He waited for her to exit his room and shut the door before dousing the lamp once more. "Hmm…" He could certainly understand her worries and concerns, but he knew very well that she would be able to handle the new magical ability in the end. She was Sofia, Princess of Enchancia, Protector of the Ever Realm… She could do just about anything she set her mind to. And where she fell short, he'd pick her up and help her succeed. "Just like she's always done for me," he murmured to himself before finally lying down and returning to sleep.

Sofia lowered into her bed and yawned, finally feeling the temptation of sleep washing over her again, dragging her willingly back into her dream world. Before she succumbed, she briefly thought of how lucky she was to have Cedric on her side: someone who was willing to help her nurture this new power and encourage her with using it. She almost felt like the typical roles were reversed this time, but she honestly welcomed that possibility. For so long she'd helped him see the goodness in himself and the abilities he'd always possessed. And now, it seemed like he was repaying the favor. A soft smile played on her lips as she muttered, "Sounds good to me…" Before long, she was asleep once more.

* * *

Hours later when it was finally time to wake up according to the proper schedule, the two Enchancians prepared for the day, ate, and headed off to the crystal tower to meet up with Master Elgraste in order to get their daily assignment.

"Good morning, you two," the older man greeted chipperly as he sat on an _airlow_ , sipping what appeared to be a cup of steaming hot tea. "Sleep well?"

Sofia smiled while glancing toward Cedric. "After getting settled in, yes."

Cedric returned the smile, the obvious secret message received.

"Good to hear," Master Elgraste responded, magically sending his tea off to another location as he stood. "There is someone I'd like you two to meet with today. He's something of a prodigy, and he even has connections with the Protectors in the Mystic Isles." He eyed Sofia meaningfully, smiling as she absently grasped her Enchantlet. "He has actually worked undercover for them in the past, helping to gather critical information."

Sofia gasped. "Are you talking about Dexter?"

He chuckled and nodded. "That I am. Now that I think of it, I'm rather sure he mentioned your name, Princess Sofia, upon returning from his mission in…Rudistan, I believe." He folded his arms and sighed as the other two exchanged glances. "He'd been on that mission for quite some time, and his little sister was left here. Some of the others here and I took care of her while he was away."

"So you guys were the 'friends' he mentioned," Sofia realized, connecting the dots. She then smiled excitedly. "We'll get to meet his little sister this time, right?" She had to admit, it would be nice to be around siblings, especially since she missed her own. Even if the little girl was much younger and not around the age of Amber and James, she'd take what she could get.

"Yes, but there is something you should know before meeting her." Master Elgraste became very serious all of a sudden. "Dexter's younger sister is named Brexley. She was born deaf and hasn't spoken a word since the day she was born as a result."

"Oh, wow," Cedric muttered, blinking. He couldn't fathom growing up without hearing anything: the wind, the trees as they rustled, the birds, music, voices… It was then that he realized just how much he took for granted.

"But don't let that make you pity her," the old man insisted, shaking his head. "Brexley is a very intelligent girl. She may not speak, and she may not be able to hear, but with her brother's help, she's managed to become quite the successful and involved student in her magic classes. She's very much into magical art, for instance."

"She sounds like an amazing girl," Sofia added. "When can we meet her?"

"Now, if you'd like." He turned and gestured over his shoulder. "Follow me."

* * *

Dexter's apartment was settled just beyond Master Elgraste's tower, in a more secluded area, away from the bustling regions of the kingdom. Like most of the other apartments, it hovered midair, though this one came equipped with a swing dangling from beneath the capsule and several decorative pieces coating the outside of the building.

"Brexley made everything you see," Master Elgraste informed them as they approached the apartment. "From the glass figurines, to the mobiles, to the windchimes. She's only five years old, but she can create just about anything you can imagine when magical art is concerned."

"Wow," Sofia breathed. "And what makes them magical?"

The man chuckled as he gestured toward the pieces, which glowed different colors and moved on their own, sliding along the surface of the building before remaining stagnant for a few moments, then moving again.

"Never mind," the princess laughed. "Magic really is limitless, I guess."

"You have no idea, Princess Sofia. Just wait until you see what else magic can do."

Using a transportation spell, Master Elgraste guided them from the ground to the apartment, knocking on the door and waiting.

Soon, a young man who looked to be about twenty years old opened the door. His raven hair was swept back in a half-up style, the rest of his locks brushing over his shoulders. Black shoes, black slacks, and a white button-up shirt with a blue star-patterned vest completed his outfit. His brown eyes twinkled in recognition once he saw the ponytailed-girl. "Princess Sofia?" He quickly ushered them all into the apartment so that they wouldn't be crowded in the main corridor.

"Dexter? Er, sorry, Dex." She laughed, recalling his nickname preference from a few years ago.

He grinned, nodding. "Wow, I know it's been a few years, but you look…older."

She smiled. "I'm fourteen now." She then gestured toward the sorcerer next to her. "Dex, this is my mentor, my friend, and our Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia: Mr. Cedric. Mr. Cedric, this is Dexter. He helped me out a few years ago with the Rudistan situation."

"I believe I also ran into you when you were at the boarding school and on your own undercover mission," the young wizard added, smiling as she gasped in recollection. He reached out and shook Cedric's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Cedric. Master Elgraste has told me about you."

Cedric nodded and lowered his hand to his side after the greeting. "The honor is mine, Dexter. It seems you made a good impression on Sofia." He smiled as she giggled a bit.

"They are here as Magical Ambassadors," Master Elgraste told the young man. "As their quest is to establish connections and networking, I assumed it wouldn't hurt to begin with one of my best magic wielders."

Dexter shrugged as he folded his arms. "I appreciate it, Master Elgraste, but I'm nowhere near Kitanya's level."

"Perhaps not, but you have something she doesn't: natural curiosity for magic. You were born with the gift, boy. Kitanya had to work hard to reach her level, and with quite a few bumps along the way." He then waved, dismissing himself. "I do hope you enjoy talking. I've much to do. I will speak with you all later." He smiled before teleporting out of the apartment.

"Would you both like something to drink or eat? My sister and I were about to have brunch since we got up late." He shrugged sheepishly. "Long night."

"Understand completely," Cedric assured him with a chuckle. "We've already eaten though, unless Sofia is still hungry."

She smiled. "I might eat a little bit. Thanks, Dex."

He nodded before looking past them, smiling. Before they could ask, he began signing something with his hands.

Sofia and Cedric turned, seeing a little girl standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She was a petite girl with her hair styled into two long ebony pigtails, each one hovering around her legs. Her bangs swept over her forehead, right above her equally dark eyes. She had dressed in a long-sleeved pink top and a long purple skirt with pink flowers in the pattern, her shoes of the same style. Dangling around her neck was a blue star pendant that appeared to be shimmering.

As Dexter spoke, he signed with his hands. "Cedric, Sofia, this is my little sister Brexley. Brexley, this is Princess Sofia and Mr. Cedric. They are from Enchancia."

The young girl's eyes widened as she excitedly signed something to her brother.

"What did she say?" Cedric wondered, impressed with the siblings' communication.

"She said she's always wanted to meet a real princess." He laughed.

Sofia smiled happily and knelt down, her Protector outfit rustling a bit as she did. As the girl approached her, the princess suddenly felt really sad before turning to Dexter. "I would love to talk to her, but…she won't understand me, will she?"

"Do you see that star pendant around her neck?" Seeing the teen nod, he continued, "I made that for her. I call it a _signdant_ : sign-pendant. Whatever you say to her, the _signdant_ allows her to 'hear' it via holographic sign language."

" _That_ is really impressive," Cedric told the young wizard in awe. " _How_ did you figure out the mechanisms and magic requirements for that?"

Dexter chuckled. "She's my sister. I'd do anything for her, and it took about a year to make, but by the time she was three years old, I'd perfected it. She's worn it every day ever since. But I continue to sign with her regardless, just so I can still communicate with her in case something happens to the _signdant_."

"You're a wonderful brother," Sofia told him.

"Indeed," Cedric agreed. "I'm sure your parents are very proud of you." He immediately regretted those words once he saw the look of dismay on the boy's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dexter… I shouldn't have assumed…"

"It's okay." He shook his head. "You meant well. Our parents died a few years ago in a magical battle that took place in a different realm. They were on their way back to us from their own mission but got caught up in it, from what I'm told, and…" He sighed. "They didn't make it back. Brexley had just turned two years old. She doesn't remember them."

"Dex, I'm so sorry," Sofia told him, her heart aching for the siblings.

"We have each other," he finished, a smile somehow on his face. "We take care of each other and do everything together. And she understands I have to go on those undercover missions sometimes, but I always make up for lost time when I return."

"I'd like to echo Sofia's sentiments from earlier," Cedric added. "You truly _are_ an amazing brother. I have a sister myself, as does the princess (a brother and a sister, actually), so I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say that it's absolutely remarkable what you've been able to do to help her and provide for both of you. I'm very impressed."

The young wizard laughed. "Thanks, Cedric. That means a lot."

Sofia turned when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She smiled as she realized Brexley was gesturing at her _signdant_ and then at Sofia's amulet. "You're wondering about this?" Sofia asked, seeing the girl nod. Apparently, the star pendant had 'translated' what she'd said for her. "This is the Amulet of Avalor. It's sort of like your _signdant_ , but it has magical powers." She grinned toward the girl. "Do you believe in magic?"

Brexley nodded enthusiastically, signing toward her brother and smiling fondly.

Dexter laughed a little before saying, "She said, 'My brother is magical. He made me believe in magic when he helped me be able to talk to others.'" He quickly signed _I love you_ to the little one, chuckling as she grinned wider and signed it back.

"So," Cedric sighed, glancing around the room at the others. "Dexter, did you have anything in particular that you'd like us to do today? As Magical Ambassadors, we're here to observe and possibly learn from you and your kingdom. And from what I have seen so far, I'm very intrigued."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I'm sure we can find something to do after we eat." He laughed as he noticed that Brexley had walked around Sofia and had begun playing with the older girl's long hair. "Or maybe we should just spend some time getting to know each other first. Looks like Brex beat us all to it."

Sofia giggled as she felt the girl starting to braid—or _attempt_ to braid—her hair. "Sounds good to me."

Not long after, they all sat around the small table to eat and converse (or sign, in Brexley's case), getting more acquainted with each other, completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

To be continued…


	17. Plot Twist

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Ooh, here's where things start to take a turn. 😉 A few of you are on the right track. You're about to discover the dark side to Mahiya. :D Also, I told you all Brexley was near and dear to my heart. The first year I taught, I had a student who was hearing impaired and was only able to hear a bit via a cochlear implant. I knew enough sign language to communicate a bit with him, but otherwise he had an interpreter. He was a cool kid, from what I remember. Also, my mother worked for 30 years as a speech pathologist, and most of her kids had difficulties with language and were hearing impaired. She inspired this character in her own way. 😊

Warning: This chapter _is_ short, but it gets really dark here, so just a heads up. As I've always told you guys, though, things aren't always exactly what they seem, so buckle up. It's going to be a wild ride from here to the end!

* * *

 **Chapter 17  
Plot Twist**

 **Summary: Unbeknownst to everyone else, someone in Mahiya is unsatisfied with how Master Elgraste is running the kingdom and plots to take it by force.**

* * *

A swift little bell jingled from what appeared to be a homemade collar as a small, furry body scampered along the busy streets of Mahiya, undetected by everyone. The creature crept into a small hole at the bottom corner of the castle, quickly moving along through the darkened corridors. Green eyes sparkled in the blackness, vision undeterred by the dim areas.

Before long, the final destination was in sight: a dungeon that had been converted into some sort of makeshift lair, complete with shelves of books and potions, a case full of at least thirty varieties of wands, and a large cauldron in the center. A large slowly-revolving black bookcase stood next to the cauldron, the contents of which were rather disturbing. Books entitled _How to Sabotage_ , _Hurt Them First_ , _Deposing the Commander_ , _Dark Magic: The Basics and Beyond_ , and even one called _Blending In: A Tale of Deception_ lined the shelves. Other things, such as voodoo dolls, poppy blossoms in a glass case, nightshade berries, and dangerous potions could be seen on either side of the bookcase.

"Meow."

Kitanya turned from her holographic image of Dexter's apartment as Tiya entered the lair, a smirk on the woman's face upon seeing the white cat. "Tiya, darling," she drawled, chuckling as the feline hopped onto a nearby table and sat down before her, purring as the woman scratched behind the cat's ears. "You did a wonderful job planting the Spy Gems around Mahiya. I can see and hear everything clearly." In fact, there were several holograms around the room depicting current scenes from throughout the kingdom, but her main focus was on one in particular. She turned back to the hologram and glared at the vision of the happy, laughing group before her. "Sickening, isn't it? Dexter gets all the praise from Master Elgraste these days—not his own protégé. I'll show him. I'll show them all!" She grabbed an empty vial and threw it at the image of Dexter's face, growling as the glass shattered upon hitting the stone wall.

"And then Master Elgraste believes hiding Mahiya is best." She scoffed. "Yes, let's _hide_ a magical land rather than connecting with other lands and increasing our goods and support. Brilliant idea, old man." She walked around the cauldron, which was bubbling with a deep red brew. "And yet, he'll allow those pesky two from Enchancia in with no problem. The man has no sense of consistency. He's ruining Mahiya!" Frustrated, she spat into the brew, causing it to explode with ferocity, smoke beginning to fill the former dungeon.

Tiya yowled in fear, hissing at the sound and the sight.

"Never fear, Tiya. Mommy's got this under control." Kitanya sneered and held out a hand, a dark stream of magic erupting from her fingers and palm as she forced the brew back into the cauldron. "I always have. Ever since that rotten Dexter got selected as an Undercover Protector for the Mystic Isles, Master Elgraste has been more consumed with _him_ than with _me_. Two can play that game, _Dex_." She chuckled darkly as an image of Brexley appeared in the red brew, her innocent face contorted into one of pain. "I'll just take what _you_ care about the most, since you felt inclined to do the same to me. Steal our master away from me, will you? Sway him in _your_ favor?" She scowled. "It's because of _Dexter_ that Master Elgraste has lost sight of the potential of this kingdom. He's so focused on the fool's 'prodigy' status and connection with the Mystic Isles that he can't even see what's before his very eyes."

The cat meowed once, tilting her head to the side as her tail slowly swished back and forth against the table.

"Mark my words, Tiya. I _will_ be avenged. I'll take this kingdom by force, and _everyone_ will see how much power I truly possess—more than Dexter, more than Elgraste, more than _any_ so-called 'ruler' who's come before me." She lifted her hands above her head to summon her powers, her sleeves shifting back and sliding down her arms. On the underside of her left arm, she bore a dark mark symbol that seemed to be teeming with its own malevolent energy.

Suddenly, the room became pitch black, and the only sign of light was the glowing red brew in the cauldron. A low chuckle rumbled from Kitanya as she began chanting.

 _With this brew as red as blood,_

 _I'll conquer all who hold me back._

 _And if the light should flood the dark,_

 _The ancient evil shall attack._

 _So, hear my cry, O Sacred Ones;_

 _Instill in me a heart of stone!_

 _Void of love and light I'll be,_

 _As I beseech the Raven Throne._

 _Break me from humanity:_

 _To the darkness, like Villacorta_ _¹_ _;_

 _Rip any shred of doubt in me._

 _Open up the_ _ **Malum Porta**_ _ **²**_ _!_

The very fabric of nothingness opened at that moment, like a steel gate creaking on its hinges. Just beyond it was a blanket of red fire, and malicious beings draped in black rags stood with scythes clutched in their illusorily bony hands.

Kitanya stood stonily still as one of the figures approached her from the darkness, magically scooping the red brew from the cauldron into a see-through pendant shaped like a heart with a dagger through it, which then fastened around the woman's neck.

"I take it you have made your sanguine sacrifice as part of the brew?" the dark voice inquired, scythe firmly clutched.

"I have," she replied smoothly. She held up her palm, revealing a relatively fresh cut that seemed to be healing.

"Excellent." Sharp yellow teeth formed into an intimidating grin beneath the creature's cloak. "With this pendant, you'll be unstoppable. You _are_ The Darkness now. Go forth, my wicked one, and create mayhem in Mahiya." With that, the creature vanished.

Kitanya smirked as her honey eyes began glowing red, her hand clutched around the pendant as Tiya growled lowly. "With pleasure."

To be continued

* * *

Ending Note¹: Villacorta is a name that will be seen again later and will be elaborated on.

Ending Note²: "Malum Porta" means Evil Gate.


	18. Sofia's Heart

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: After the last chapter, I figure a bit of lighthearted goodness is necessary. 😉 Also, in here, you'll meet a few animal friends who help make Dexter's and Brexley's lives a bit more interesting. By the way, Happy Birthday to Sofia, today, October 6! 😊

Note: FLUFFY

* * *

 **Chapter 18  
Sofia's Heart**

 **Summary: Dexter makes a comment about how caring Sofia is when trying to train his little sister Brexley, and Cedric reminisces his experiences with the Enchancian princess.**

* * *

Cedric and Dexter were sitting at a chess table near the window in the younger wizard's apartment, pondering moves and chatting with each other, while the girls were settled on the floor nearby, spending time together and doing different activities. Sofia's hair was now fully yet sloppily braided (courtesy of Brexley), with random fake flowers placed throughout the auburn strands, and stretched out beside her on the carpet as she lay on her stomach next to the younger girl. Currently, Brexley was showing Sofia how to draw a bird.

"She's obsessed with birds," Dexter mentioned as he moved one of his pieces on the chess table. "Ever since she was little, she's loved them, especially songbirds." He laughed softly. "The irony being, of course, that she'll never be able to hear one."

Cedric raised an eyebrow at the mentioning. "Why is she so fascinated with them?"

The boy shrugged. "I guess she likes the idea of them. While she can't hear, I imagine that she can probably supplement sound with what she can _see_. Don't quote me on that, of course, but it's just a theory."

 _Bark!_

Dexter glanced down to his right when he felt a set of paws on his leg. He grinned at the small brown dog, who was just begging to be picked up. "Hey, Kix! I wondered where you went, boy!" He gathered the ball of energy into his arms and laughed when the dog excitedly licked his face. "Kix, calm down." He smiled when the pup whimpered a bit before dramatically laying his head on his owner's shoulder.

"Kix?" Cedric asked curiously, amused with the dog's affectionate display.

"Yeah. Three years old, and he still thinks he's a tiny puppy." He laughed. "Granted, he's not going to get too big—which is especially good in this apartment—but he's just as playful now as he was when he was really little."

"Can't say I've ever been much of a dog person." Cedric shrugged as Kix whined, looking at him in what appeared to be shock, or perhaps disappointment. "If you saw the one dog at our castle, you'd understand why… A bit of a dunderhead with a knack for knocking things over." He rolled his eyes.

"Aw, Kix knows when to stop." Dexter turned the dog around to where he was sitting half on his lap and half in his right arm, his soft paw draped over the wizard's hand. "Okay, boy, let's watch Cedric and see what move he makes next."

The sorcerer laughed as he picked up a chess piece. "Check."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sofia was attempting to mimic the younger girl's drawing skills. Granted, she'd taken plenty of art classes in her life, but birds hadn't always been her specialty. She could handle scenery and backgrounds with no problem, but she'd found birds a little complicated sometimes. Still, she gave it her all, and she made a halfway decent picture.

Brexley finished what she was doing and sat up, holding her picture up to Sofia with a large grin on her face. It was of a tiny songbird, with a maroon color for feathers on the belly side and a royal blue color for feathers on the back. Beady little black eyes peered curiously from the image.

"That's awesome, Brexley!" Sofia gushed, making sure her words were visible for the _signdant_ to interpret. Seeing the girl smile wider, she knew she'd gotten the message. "You like songbirds, huh?"

Brexley nodded happily before dropping the picture and standing, tugging the princess to her feet. She then began dragging her down the hallway toward what Sofia could only assume was her bedroom.

Upon entering the room, Sofia gasped. It was full of pink and purple pastel colors, and the walls were filled with drawings and art pieces that Brexley had clearly made herself. Even the ceiling seemed to be decorated with the same image of a songbird. She watched as the little girl hurried over to what appeared to be a tiny house on a wooden desk and opened a door, reaching inside. Not long after, she withdrew her hands, revealing a little songbird, which exactly resembled what Brexley had drawn.

Sofia smiled. It all made sense now. Apparently, this little bird was the younger girl's artistic inspiration.

With the bird perched on her left hand, Brexley used her right hand to sign some letters. C-O-T-Y.

Sofia decided to put her own magic skills to work. "I can't understand her signing, unfortunately," she said directly to the bird. "I'm Sofia. What is your name?"

The little bird was taken aback by the fact that he could understand the human, but he laughed. "Coty. I'm Coty." He looked toward the dark-haired girl holding him with an expression of pure adoration. "Brexley is my owner. We've been together for two years now." He sighed. "I wish she could hear me, because every day, I sing a song just for her."

The princess reached out and stroked his feathers. "It's the thought that counts, Coty. And she'd absolutely love your song if she could hear it, I'm sure." She then realized that the young girl was staring at her in confusion. Sofia dropped her hand and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Brexley. I forgot to tell you." She picked up her amulet. "My amulet allows me to talk to animals."

Brexley's mouth hung open in amazement. She then smiled widely and gestured between the bird and the princess, as if asking if they could understand each other.

Sofia nodded. "I can understand him. He said he sings a song just for you every day."

The five-year-old nuzzled the bird in thanks before placing a tiny kiss on his head.

Coty laughed softly. "Thanks, Sofia. At least she knows now."

Sofia nodded before realizing that, once again, Brexley had taken her hand and was leading her out of her room and back into the living room. When they got settled, the young Protector noticed that Coty was now resting on Brexley's shoulder, watching her draw yet another new picture. "Hmm." Settling down after a few moments, she continued the art that she'd recently started.

"Your princess is something else," Dexter remarked as he and Cedric began a new game, Cedric having been the victor in the last one. He nodded toward the two girls, who were happily working away at their new art projects. "She's so gentle with my sister, so patient."

Cedric smiled fondly at the sight of his apprentice demonstrating a few things to the younger girl. "Sofia has, perhaps, the kindest heart of anyone I've ever met." He cleared his throat as he waited for Dexter to make his move. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his stomach. "I don't really share much about myself with people I've just met, but I feel inclined to give you some insight, if you don't mind."

The younger magic wielder nodded and shrugged, cuddling a complacent Kix. "Go ahead."

"I met Sofia when she was eight years old. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really care for her much at first."

Dexter laughed in surprise as he glanced up from the board. "Why? I thought you two had a really close relationship."

"We do. But that's now, and over many years of getting to know each other and trust one another." He shook his head. "Anyway, she was new in the castle after her mother married our king, King Roland. I found the girl insufferable. She always wanted attention, needed help, or gave hugs that I wasn't prepared for…" He rolled his eyes as Dexter snickered. "Granted, now I kind of _miss_ the more frequent hugs from when she was younger. Teenagers don't tend to offer them as often… Anyway, I digress."

"I'll say." Dexter grinned as he gently scratched behind Kix's ears, causing the dog to close his eyes happily.

"So, after she came to me for help with her sorcery class one day, I decided to make her my apprentice, which she _loved_. She did everything I asked her to do: cleaning, spell casting, and so on. Even after the class assignment was finished, she still sought me out for lessons, so I just made her my apprentice fulltime. And she has maintained that role for the last six years…"

"Wow… That's a long time. And she started so young, too… Especially for a normal, non-magical kid."

"Yes." He cast his eyes downward.

Dexter frowned curiously. "There's something you're leaving out, isn't there? Otherwise, this story doesn't feel complete. You said something about her having the kindest heart, but I've yet to hear how or why."

Cedric sighed, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "Well, I suppose I owe you the other side of the story then. When Sofia arrived at the castle, I wasn't exactly what you'd call…nice. In fact, I was reclusive and snippy, from what Baileywick, our steward, said nearly daily. I won't go too much into it, but suffice it to say that I'd been verbally berated and chastised from the time I was a child up until that point. I was called a bungler and a bumbling fool, who failed at every magic spell or parlor trick presented to me, and no one ever let me forget it. It sort of…chipped away at the kind-hearted child _I_ used to be." He sighed. "I became extremely bitter and angry, and I wanted nothing more than to get back at the ones who had harshly bashed me over the years. As a result, I developed a plan to take over Enchancia."

Dexter's dark eyes widened. "Wow."

"And, to make matters worse (or better, at the time, according to _my_ situation), Sofia had just been bestowed the Amulet of Avalor."

" _That's_ what she's wearing. I knew it looked familiar. Didn't it used to be purple though?"

Cedric nodded. "Yes, but that's a much longer story for some other time. Anyway, her father gave it to her. When I found out about it, I knew I had to have it, so I spent a few years using every trick and excuse in the book to try to get her to hand it over, even though we had developed a very close bond and even friendship during that time." He gestured uncertainly with one hand. "Even though I did consider her a friend, I couldn't let my long-term goal of conquering the kingdom go, so I pursued the amulet. When I finally used a spell to switch out a fake amulet I'd made and got the real one, I was elated, and Sofia didn't know any different."

Dexter blinked. "Wow, that's kind of low."

"I'm well aware, Dexter. Trust me." He shook his head. "Anyway, if you're familiar with the amulet, then you know the old saying: 'With each deed performed for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse.' So, every good thing I did, I received a similar power as a result. However, when I started gloating or acting like an imbecile, I got cursed. Eventually, it got to be too much to handle, especially when Sofia soon after came to me, panicking, saying that her amulet was no longer working." He glanced to the side, noting that the princess was still finishing her art project with Brexley. "Now I realize that it was likely due to her inability to use her powers. I now know that one power allows her to speak with animals."

Kix tilted his head before squirming out of Dexter's grasp and taking off toward the girls, lying down next to the five-year-old.

"It's quite possible that she realized she could no longer do so, and that's why she came to me." Cedric closed his eyes. "I knew how upset she was, so I had her close her eyes, and I switched them back. She was extremely grateful when I'd 'fixed' her amulet, and I knew then and there that I just _couldn't_ take her amulet." He opened his eyes, gazing at Dexter seriously. "I'd destroy our friendship and the trust she had in me. Of course, I still managed to test it about a year and a half later."

Dexter nodded, indicating that he was all ears for the rest of the story.

"While I'd given up my quest for the amulet, my desire to overtake the kingdom was still strong. Sofia believed in me and cherished me as a friend, but not many others did. Even my own father was extremely hard on me, not to mention my sister. I'd had about enough, but I didn't want to ruin what I had with Sofia. Even if _she_ was the _only_ person in the world who believed in me and cared for me, I at least had her." He sighed heavily. "And then we went to my old school one day: Hexley Hall. They had a seminar going on, and I brought her with me. It was glorious at first, but then I was secretly whisked away by a strange invitation. My old headmaster Grimtrix had created something called Medusa Stones to put on any wand, and they would aid in overtaking any kingdom and any ruler. I…accepted. Sofia found out and was heartbroken, but I didn't really care at that point. I had a method now, and I wasn't about to give it up. So, I headed back to Enchancia without her."

The boy gaped at the older sorcerer. "You just _left_ her there?"

"I wasn't thinking clearly, all right?" He tapped his fingers against his arm. "Anyway, I was successful in taking over the kingdom, but Sofia managed to borrow a witch's broom, and she soon cornered me at the castle; she had probably the angriest expression I'd ever seen, and the fact that it was directed at _me_ when she'd only ever shown me kindness… That was hard. I knew I couldn't follow through with it, so I ultimately surrendered, because I didn't want to disappoint her any more than I already had. I was sent to the dungeon thereafter, and Sofia confronted me, telling me that she was the most upset when I, in a moment of a massive judgment lapse, had told her I'd never been her friend. She was, of course, upset that I'd tried to overtake her kingdom and frozen her family with the Medusa Stone, but she was more concerned about our friendship at the time. I couldn't believe it; I was floored. We made up, and she forgave me, and when Grimtrix came to try to finish the job, we defeated him. After that, even though King Roland wanted me imprisoned for treason, Sofia stepped in for me and saved me…again. She's saved me every day that I've known her, just by being there and believing in me."

Sofia glanced up and over at Cedric.

"I don't know what I'd do without her…" Cedric sighed. "And so, here we are, a few years later. Aside from my completely different perspective and improvement as a sorcerer, nothing's changed. Our bond is stronger than ever, though, as you can probably tell."

Dexter chuckled warmly as he nodded. "I can tell… What you and Sofia have is special, Cedric. You just seem to get each other, and that's coming from someone who just met you. Don't take that for granted. Real friendship these days is very hard to come by."

Cedric nodded. "I know…probably better than anyone." He cleared his throat once more before clasping his hands together. "Well, then, where were we? It's your move, is it not?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Princess Sofia?"

Sofia turned and looked toward Kix, who was staring at her with his giant purple-blue eyes. "Hi! You're Kix, right?"

"Cheese and bananas, you really _can_ understand me!" The dog panted excitedly, wagging his tail. "Oh, that's super-duper-fantastical!"

Coty, still situated on Brexley's shoulder, snickered at the response.

The princess giggled at the dog's reaction. "It's my amulet."

"I know. That Cedric guy was talking about it earlier." He glanced toward Brexley, who was none the wiser of their conversation. "Sometimes I feel bad; I wish Brex could have that magical power. I know it can't be easy not being able to hear _or_ talk."

"Maybe, but don't feel bad for her, Kix." She gently scratched his head, grinning as the brown-furred dog closed his eyes in delight. "Brexley is a wonderful girl. She's very talented and well-adjusted. She doesn't need to be able to hear or talk to be happy. She's able to communicate with you guys, in her own way, right?" She lowered her hand, laughing as the dog stared at her with his tongue lolling out. "Kix?"

"Uh, yep! Sorry. I get kind of dazed when people scratch my head." He looked up at her with a serious yet imploring stare. "Can you do it again?"

The young Protector smiled and rolled her eyes before reaching over and scratching the dog's head again, sending him into a little state of happiness. She glanced toward Cedric again, who seemed to catch her eye, and she smiled knowingly at him. To her delight, he returned the smile.

* * *

That evening, after getting dressed for bed, Sofia asked Cedric if he would make them some cocoa before they turned in for the night.

"Cocoa?" he asked, chuckling as he followed her into the kitchen and used his wand to retrieve the ingredients. "In the summertime?"

"I just felt like it would be nice to have something warm and sweet," she answered as she watched him making two cups for them. A playful smile made its way to her face. "Kind of like you, Mr. Cedric."

"Hmm?" He blinked and glanced down as he felt arms encircling him, the princess now hugging him as he'd finished the cocoa. "Sofia?"

"I'm sorry, but…I heard what you were telling Dexter about me."

He blushed modestly as she released him and smiled in his direction. "Y-You did?"

She shrugged. "We were in the _same room_ , Mr. Cedric." She laughed as he blushed harder. "Just because you were talking sort of quietly doesn't mean I couldn't hear you."

"So you were eavesdropping, you cheeky girl?" He scoffed and picked up both cups of cocoa, holding one just out of her reach as she tried to take it. "I don't think so. Only non-eavesdropping princesses get cocoa on a summer evening, regardless of how strange of a request that is."

Sofia folded her arms. "Very funny, Mr. Cedric." She smiled sincerely toward him. "I really appreciated what you said about me, though…"

"What I said…?" He couldn't recall precisely what he _had_ said. He knew he'd mentioned a lot to Dexter, but his exact words were a mystery, even to himself.

"'She's saved me every day that I've known her, just by being there and believing in me.'" _She_ even started blushing at the next part. "'…I don't know what I'd do without her…'"

Cedric set both steaming cups on the counter and sighed, placing his hands on his apprentice's shoulders as she smiled gently at him. "I meant every word."

"I know." She hugged him once again, glad to have him returning it this time. "That meant a lot to me… _You_ mean a lot to me."

He chuckled as he gently ran a hand through her hair, which was finally freed from Brexley's 'braid' and the flowers from earlier. "The feeling is mutual, Sofia…" He carefully released her before picking up the cups once more, offering one to her and smiling as she accepted it. "To friendship?" he asked, holding out the cup toward her.

Sofia smiled and nodded. "To friendship." She laughed as their cups clinked together.

To be continued…


	19. The Calm Before the Storm

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: All righty! This is the last bit of fun before the heavy stuff hits. In the next chapter, you will find out more about Kitanya's background and what led to her involvement with dark magic, including how and when she received the dark mark on her arm. 😉 Also, Mr. Shortman92, don't worry. There are plenty more hugs coming up, especially in this chapter and after the events of chapter 21.

Note: More marshmallows—I mean _fluff_ —in this chapter. Haha. And we finally get another mention of Kitanya. Ooh… :D

* * *

 **Chapter 19  
The Calm Before the Storm**

 **Summary: During Summer Solstice, everyone in Mahiya enjoys a firework display and many festivities; meanwhile, they have no idea what awaits them.**

* * *

"Happy Summer Solstice!"

It's all the two Enchancians heard as they walked through the streets of Mahiya, taking in more of the kingdom than they'd been able to so far. Evidently, here, Summer Solstice was its own special holiday. People were buying food left and right. Streamers and other festive decorations were scattered about the entire territory. And they were preparing something new that Sofia found fascinating…

"What _is_ this?" she asked in awe as she and Cedric approached a worker, who seemed to be preparing a large, see-through, spherical object.

"It's a Visi-Sphere," the man informed the teen. "We use them only during Summer Solstice. You can step inside and it will magically seal behind you, and you can hover over the kingdom and get a better view of all the festivities going on." He grinned at them. "I'm done preparing this one. Would you like to give it a try?"

"Yes!" "Absolutely not."

"Oh, come on, Mr. Cedric," Sofia pleaded, turning and clasping her hands as she pouted. "It looks like fun!"

"Is there even any oxygen in that thing?" he asked, his question directed at the other man.

"Of course! It's perfectly safe, designed by Master Elgraste himself." He smiled as Sofia continued giving Cedric an imploring look. "Besides, I doubt your young friend here will relent until you agree to go."

Cedric sighed, shrugging. "You are very much correct, I'm sure." He gave his apprentice a pointed look. " _One_ time in this thing. I don't trust things I'm not overly familiar with, regardless of _who_ designed it."

Sofia giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling him along into the bubble-like object. She gasped as it sealed up behind them, leaving them encased in the Visi-Sphere. "What now?" she wondered, glancing toward Cedric.

Before either could say another word, the Visi-Sphere shuffled a bit before quickly elevating into the air, causing the two friends to collide into each other before falling to the bottom.

Cedric groaned after having fallen face-first into the sphere, and he made another sound of discomfort when he felt Sofia fall on his back. "Ugh… Sofia, are you all right?"

She looked around, laughing as she realized that her friend had pretty much broken her fall. "Yeah! Thanks for catching me, Mr. Cedric."

"You're welcome. Now get off."

She grinned and stood up, steadying herself, before reaching down and slowly helping her mentor to his feet as well. "Find your balance."

"I left it on the ground in the marketplace," he responded dryly, causing her to snicker. He brushed off his robe as Sofia peered through the front of the glass-like barrier, her hands pressed to it and her blue eyes widening as she took in the surroundings. He had to admit: it _was_ a rather lovely sight to behold—the kingdom itself, the pastel clouds, the endless waterfalls… He even forgot for a few minutes that he wasn't terribly fond of heights.

"I wonder if anyone ever looks at Enchancia like we look at Mahiya," Sofia mentioned, her voice soft with awe. "Like they're mesmerized by the beauty and the wonder of it all…"

Cedric couldn't help smiling at her near-philosophical murmurs. "I'm sure they do," he assured her as he stood next to her, observing the landscapes below. "Enchancia is magical in its own way, after all."

The princess smiled at her friend. "I think it's because of _you_ , Mr. Cedric. It wouldn't be magical without our royal sorcerer, after all."

"That's where you're wrong, my dear," he argued lightly as he turned to her. "I may have magic and use it on a daily basis, but there's a big difference between using magic…and _embodying_ magic. _You_ fall under that category."

Sofia blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Sofia. What drew you to magic in the first place?"

She frowned thoughtfully as she leaned against the clear barrier. "The wonder of it… The amazing fact that all you had to do was wave a wand or flick your wrist and something would happen. To me, magic was great, because it was so different and so unexpected."

Cedric smiled as he gestured toward her. "My point exactly. _You_ are different and unexpected. No one could have guessed what you would accomplish in your years as a princess. You saved your kingdom a few times, redeemed some of us poor and misguided fools, freed a princess from your amulet, closed the barriers between what was and wasn't expected of royals, became the youngest Protector ever known… Need I go on?"

"Only if you plan on getting to the point," she laughed.

"Enchancia is magical because of _you_ , Sofia. Sure, I'm the royal sorcerer, but _you_ inhabit all the qualities of magic: wonder, excitement, innocence, promise, and hope. I feel that you brought all of that with you when you became _Princess Sofia_ of Enchancia."

She blushed modestly as she played with her ponytail. "Do you really believe that?"

Cedric chuckled before leaning against the barrier himself. "I don't say what I don't mean. I think you know that by now."

Sofia smiled as she tried to approach him gracefully, but she lost her balance and ended up stumbling forward, only to have Cedric catch her before they, again, fell to the bottom of the Visi-Sphere. She began laughing, and soon enough, so did he.

"Well, it's a good thing no one calls you 'Your Grace,' because I'm afraid it would be a contrary title," Cedric joked, sitting up and helping his apprentice do so as well.

She giggled before hugging him, which had been her original goal. " _This_ is what I was trying to do before… Sorry for knocking you down…again."

He hugged her back, smiling. "I suppose it was worth it. You sure are hugging me a lot lately."

She shifted back and clasped her hands uncertainly. "About that… I…overheard what you said to Dexter…" She frowned in concern as she pulled her legs up to her chin. "I heard you say that…I don't hug you as much anymore, and you miss it?"

"You even overheard _that_?" Cedric found himself flushing in embarrassment this time, aggravated that he'd spoken to the young wizard so close in proximity to his apprentice. He made a mental note to use a different room if and when he spoke of Sofia to someone else again. "Well, I…" He shrugged. "It's just that when you were younger, you used to hug me after every lesson, and sometimes randomly for no reason. And although I didn't intend to, I got used to them and sort of…started anticipating receiving them every now and again. Before you came along, I didn't really get hugs, save for when my mother visited, and Calista, of course. But those were rare. Nowadays, I'm lucky to get a quick pat on the shoulder or something." He sighed, waving one hand. "Not that I _expect_ you to hug me so often or anything… I understand that you're not the same young girl anymore, but…"

"But I'm still Sofia, and you're still Mr. Cedric…" She smiled as he looked at her curiously. "And I still think you're the most ah-mazing person in the world. No age difference will ever change that." She gently took his hand. "If you want a hug, you've got it. After all you've done to help me out over the years, you _deserve_ a hug. And a cookie." She grinned as he started laughing. "A _big_ cookie with _lots_ of frosting on it. Purple frosting, since it's your favorite color and all." She giggled as he gently squeezed her hand.

"Thank you, Sofia. I needed that."

"You're welcome. So…" She smiled happily and extended her arms playfully. "Want a hug?"

Cedric laughed and barely had time to respond as she hugged him yet again. "You're something else, Sofia. But I'm lucky to have you in my life."

She sighed in content, the smile never leaving her face as he returned her embrace. "So am I, Mr. Cedric. So am I…"

* * *

The rest of the Visi-Sphere ride went well, allowing the friends to get quite a scenic view of pretty much the entire kingdom. Soon after, they landed and met up with Master Elgraste, Dexter, and Brexley, who were all gathered on the roof of the crystal tower.

"Whatever happened to Kitanya?" Sofia wondered as they all sat together, sharing a picnic on a large blanket. It was then that she realized that, though she and Cedric had been in Mahiya for a few days, they hadn't seen the dark-haired woman since their first day there.

"Kitanya doesn't care for the Summer Solstice," Dexter responded, rolling his eyes. "I think it's due to all the warmth and happiness; you may or may not have realized it, Sofia, but she doesn't exactly possess either trait."

"Dexter," Master Elgraste spoke firmly, chiding him.

Sofia blinked. "Really? I thought she seemed fine. A little sarcastic and serious, but…" She grinned toward Cedric, who was munching on a sandwich. "Between Mr. Cedric and our steward Baileywick, I'm kind of used to both at this point."

Cedric stopped munching momentarily to send her a keen stare before continuing his lunch.

"I'm sure Kitanya will meet up with you before you leave for Enchancia again," the leader declared, breaking his own sandwich into two pieces. "She's just a bit standoffish sometimes. She's a lot to handle, I suppose."

"I'll say," Dexter scoffed as he prepared Brexley's plate and passed it off to her. "All I can say is, don't get on her bad side."

"Yes," Cedric droned as he dusted his hands off after finishing his sandwich. "We saw the effects of it when a few guards questioned her during our arrival."

"I'm afraid Kitanya has a long history with disagreeing with authority figures." Master Elgraste poured himself a glass of cider before picking up the cup. "…Among others…" He then helped himself to his drink.

Cedric leaned down to Sofia, whispering, "Do you get the feeling that we're being left out of some huge, strange secret?"

She smiled and gave him a sarcastic look before shrugging.

* * *

The Mahiyan Summer Solstice Celebration was certainly something that the two Enchancian friends discussed taking home to Roland and requesting consideration. While they had plenty of 'changing-of-the-season' parties, they didn't really have anything quite like this. They'd stayed outside all day with their friends, celebrating with food and games, and never once did they even consider going inside. They'd had a consistent stream of entertainment, which had been wonderful.

Now, night had fallen, and everyone was situated under the darkened skies all around the kingdom. The original group of five remained on the crystal tower's roof, now facing the outer area of the kingdom as the firework display was about to begin.

"This almost reminds me of New Year or something," Sofia gushed to her friends, grinning. "The anticipation… The fireworks…"

"The Mahiyan New Year Celebration is one of the best," Dexter told her with a smile. "Maybe you two will come back one of these years for it?"

"Maybe," Cedric responded. "Though I'm sure we'd have to bring her siblings along next time. I doubt they'll want to part with their dear sister again after having her gone for nearly three months."

Sofia nodded. "Especially Amber… I can already predict it. She's going to hug me for ten minutes without letting go." She giggled. "She's a little protective of me."

"I thought being the Protector was _your_ job," Dexter teased.

Sofia snickered. "Yeah, but Amber's older. If you ever meet her, you'll see what I mean."

Brexley gasped and pointed toward the sky, where one solitary firework had been released, allowing it to explode in a burst of colors.

Soon after, several more exploded midair, releasing all the colors of the rainbow just about, and allowing the light display to carry on for several minutes. And while all of Mahiya was enthralled with the sight, there was one who was otherwise preoccupied, red-tinted honey eyes glaring at the hologram image of the quintet atop the crystal tower's roof.

Kitanya narrowed her eyes at the crowd of people, the leader especially. "Brace yourself, Master Elgraste," she bit, "because there's no stopping me now." She chuckled wickedly as the mark on her arm began to glow.

To be continued…


	20. Overthrown

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: There is no mystery behind the title and the purpose of this chapter, as you can see by the summary. There is, however, a bit of a background story on Kitanya to show how she became involved with the dark magic cult. Let's just say…it's somewhat complex. Brace yourselves.

Note: The beginning of this chapter involves a semi-flashback sequence, just to give you an indication of what started this whole thing. Also, the feeling of nervousness and dread that Sofia feels at the start of this chapter is something I've felt before. It's one of those can't-explain-it feelings, but you just _know_ something bad is going to happen. I've felt it at school before a fight broke out between students; I've felt it before someone's passed away. It's scary, especially when there's _nothing_ you can do to alleviate your intuitive feeling. Just thought I'd offer a little insight.

* * *

 **Chapter 20  
Overthrown**

 **Summary: Kitanya betrays Master Elgraste and magically captures him before then setting her sights on the Enchancian friends.**

* * *

Kitanya aimed her wand at the hologram of the group on the crystal tower roof and blasted it, wishing with every fiber of her being that it had actually hit any or all of them: from Master Elgraste to the princess, or even to the little girl. She didn't care. None of them meant a thing to her, and all she really cared about was her revenge.

She'd been assigned to Master Elgraste when she was eight years old. That was now thirteen years ago. She'd not been born with the untouchable gift of magic as Dexter had; he, a mere year younger than she was, had surpassed her beyond comprehension by the time he was ten. "Prodigy" was always the term people used to describe him, and she'd grown to despise it…and Dexter.

Regardless of her less-than-immaculate magical skills, Master Elgraste had kept her on as his protégé, and she'd worked under him, learning from him, during all that time. Of course, whenever _Dexter_ did something better or more exciting, all attention turned to him. Frustrated with the situation, she'd turned to…less-than-wholesome methods to ensure that her powers would somehow become far greater than Dexter's. Whatever it took, she was going to prove herself to Master Elgraste.

It all began when she was thirteen. Her master had sent her on a quest to locate some specific supplies for upcoming lessons, and he'd given her instructions not to stray from her path. Naturally, as a rebellious teenager, she'd disregarded the second half of his directives.

After gathering what she was required to get for Master Elgraste, she'd been about to leave for Mahiya again when a fortune teller had solicited her for a reading. The mysterious old woman had informed her that she was destined for a life of greatness, complete with immeasurable and incomparable powers. Entranced by the possibility, Kitanya had pleaded for the woman to give her more information.

"More information" had somehow evolved into guiding the young girl to a shady building, which was filled with numerous other people who'd come seeking answers to the same types of questions she'd had.

The leader and his followers (or whatever they were called) were draped in the same dark cloaks and were holding the same intimidating scythes as the creatures that she'd summoned recently. The leader informed the numerous visitors that this was a dark magic society known as _Notis Ordinis_ ¹, a long-standing chapter of their "alternative magic sect," as he'd referred to it. It didn't take her long to find out that the leader's name was a simple moniker: Villacorta. Evidently, he was once a renowned wizard who'd fallen far astray after several questionable 'accidents' were linked back to him. He'd been banished from his homeland, after which he'd founded his own cult that practiced the most malevolent forms of dark magic.

Kitanya never learned any other members' names, which kept the society and its members shrouded in figurative and literal darkness. In a way, she preferred that. The less she knew, the less she cared.

After learning what the society was about, and especially after realizing what sort of powerful magic she could incur if she joined, Kitanya didn't hesitate. The moment the dark magic mark of the _Notis Ordinis_ was magically branded on her arm, which was both painful and exhilarating for her, she knew there was no going back. She was bounded by blood to the order, and there was only one way to separate herself from it: death.

After all was said and done, that free-spirited girl she'd once been was gone. Instead, a far more callous and sinister being stood in her place.

Kitanya glared at the mark on her arm, noting that it was pulsing and glowing softly. The last eight years, she'd had to hide her true nature from everyone, especially Master Elgraste. She never was able to explain to him how she'd gotten so much more powerful after one measly, mundane trip to collect ingredients. She'd given him some lame excuse, such as, "I guess I had it in me the whole time," or something to that effect. Either way, he'd begun paying her more attention and working with her far more often than Dexter.

Perhaps the fortune teller was right. Things were finally going her way. Maybe she _was_ destined for great things.

And then Dexter got that Undercover Protector job, and things went right out the window. Master Elgraste once again began putting his time and efforts toward teaching and helping the younger boy when he could, and even the wizard's little sister got more attention than Kitanya. It was enough to drive her mad, and in effect, she supposed it did.

She began resenting not only Dexter and his sister, but also Master Elgraste. Everything the man did, she detested. She specifically hated his desire to keep the kingdom a secret, as to her, it was a waste of energy and resources. The two Enchancian strangers had thrown her for a loop, but she'd insisted on allowing them in, despite orders to keep all outsiders… _out_. And when Master Elgraste had welcomed them with open arms, she'd been completely flabbergasted.

 _Why_ was he so accommodating to _them_? To Dexter? To Brexley? To everyone _but_ her? Enough was enough, and she intended to make it quite clear how she felt soon enough.

* * *

The next day, Sofia couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. It chilled her to the core, despite the fact that it was summertime. Nervous, and without any real reason to be so, she slowly dressed for the day. She tugged a purple and pink dress tunic over her head, brushing out the ruffle that rested just at her legs. She then pulled on some matching purple leggings before fastening her purple boots onto her feet. In a few swift motions, she'd clasped her Enchantlet on her right wrist, along with her GuardoRing on her right ring finger. Her amulet was already on, as always. She fastened a small belt around her tunic, and in one of the little loops she placed the wand that Cedric had given her for safe keeping. Now she just needed to fix her hair.

She grabbed her brush and a hairband and sat down on the floor before a mirror, brushing out the typical waves that usually occurred so early in the morning, especially since she often slept with it braided. Once she was satisfied that there were no tangles, she attempted to begin the task of tying it up into her normal ponytail, but she couldn't even do _that_. Her heart had sped up, and she was shaking. She lowered the brush and band to her lap with her left hand while her right hand rested over her heart, her blue eyes peering at her reflection in the mirror. "What is _wrong_ with me?" She gasped as she heard a knock at the door. "Wh-Who is it?"

"Really, Sofia?"

She sighed in relief as she heard Cedric's voice from the other side. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Cedric… Um, come in."

Cedric walked inside and placed his hands on his hips as he observed her, noting that her hair was tumbling in long waves to the carpet rather than up in its usual ponytail. "I thought you were ready?"

"I was almost done, but…" She frowned. "I know this sounds crazy, but I'm… I'm nervous."

"Nervous?"

"And I can't stop shaking, so I can't fix my hair, and I'm just…" She sighed as she looked up toward her baffled friend. "I'm scared, Mr. Cedric."

Cedric's look changed to one of concern as he pulled her to her feet, guiding her to sit down on the window seat and hoping that some of the sunshine filtering in would help her stop shaking so much. He'd never seen her so nervous before, not even when fighting Vor a few years ago, and he was extremely worried about her. "Sofia, there's nothing to be scared of. Nothing's going to happen. What even brought this on?"

"I don't know…" She frowned. "I just got a really bad feeling when I woke up, and I can't shake it."

"So this is intuition?" he wondered.

"I don't know what it is, but it's freaking me out."

"Hmm…" He gently ran his fingers through her hair, noting that it seemed to be calming her down. "Whatever it is— _if_ it's even anything—it's going to be all right. I don't want you getting yourself worked up over nothing." Though she was calmer, he could still feel her shaking. Without even thinking twice, he grabbed the brush and hairband from her hand and gently tapped her arm. "Turn around, and I'll fix your hair today."

Sofia couldn't help laughing. "Are you sure? I've got a lot of hair…"

Cedric chuckled. "Yes, I have noticed. And it's not like it's all that complicated." He gently gathered her hair into his left hand before brushing it all to a point with his right hand. Once he was content with the results of his brushing, he set the brush aside and gathered the hairband, twisting it a few times until her ponytail was secure as always. He stood and pulled her to her feet, turning her to face him. Pondering, he hummed and reached forward, gently loosening a few strands next to her ears, like she usually wore them. He then smiled, satisfied. "There. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself."

Curious, Sofia hurried over to her full-length mirror and turned sideways, grinning as she saw her reflection. She looked like her usual self, all right. She turned briskly to face her mentor, only to laugh apologetically when she realized she'd whacked him in the face with her ponytail. "Sorry, Mr. Cedric."

"You know, you should consider adding _that_ as a weapon when you fight off villains," he joked before smiling. "How did I do?"

"It's perfect," she gushed.

He shrugged with a smirk. "Naturally." He chuckled as she reached forward and hugged him.

"Thanks, Mr. Cedric. I don't know what caused me to be so nervous, but…" She pulled back, glancing up at him. "I'm going to try to calm down and just…enjoy the day."

He nodded, placing his left hand over her right shoulder. "Good. I promise, everything will be fine. And even if something _does_ happen, I'm here with you, and I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. All right?"

She nodded, a feeling of relief washing over her. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric…"

* * *

Soon afterward, they left their apartment to meet up with Dexter and Brexley for breakfast. They all had big plans today, which most definitely involved officially documenting their networking status. While paperwork wasn't exactly something Cedric _enjoyed_ , this particular type was hard evidence that he and Sofia had completed their jobs effectively when they returned home to Enchancia. Of course, any of that type of documentation would have to be officially signed by Master Elgraste, whom they'd planned to meet later that morning.

"Morning, you guys!" Sofia greeted as she and Cedric entered the other apartment, her spirit much calmer and happier now. She grinned as she signed 'Good morning, Brex' to the little girl, who grinned widely. She was learning, little by little.

"I hope you guys like pancakes," Dexter said as he guided them all to the small dining table, placing a huge stack of golden, fluffy goodness before them. "Because I've made quite a few of them…"

Cedric nodded appreciatively. "This is fine, Dexter. Thank you." He placed two pancakes onto his empty plate and had hardly begun reaching for the butter when he saw Sofia grab one of his cakes and put it on her own plate. He scoffed. "Excuse you. There are about ten other pancakes on the other plate to choose from. Why are you stealing _mine_?"

She grinned as she began cutting up the pancake with her fork. "Because it annoys you, and annoying you is kind of fun sometimes."

He offered his apprentice a pointed look. "Sometimes, I swear, _you_ have a wicked streak."

The princess smiled sweetly after eating a bite. "Never said I didn't, Mr. Cedric."

Brexley smiled before offering Cedric one of her pancakes.

"Oh, Brexley, no, dear…" He saw the five-year-old's lip begin trembling at her supposedly rejected offer, so he quickly smiled and accepted the pancake. "I mean, thank you." He gestured the sign that Dexter had taught him meant 'thank you' and chuckled as the child grinned widely. He placed the pancake onto his plate and smirked toward Sofia. "Hmm! Looks like there are people who will help me in my time of need."

"Good to know if there's ever a pancake crisis." Sofia snickered before continuing to eat.

Dexter laughed and finally sat down with them, using his wand to conjure some juice for each person. "Eat up, everyone. We have to meet Master Elgraste in the crystal tower in an hour."

* * *

Meanwhile, Master Elgraste was rather busy organizing documents in his tower. He had managed to get a great deal of work done already that morning, though he knew he still needed to sign the official documentation for Cedric and Sofia, regarding the Enchancia-Mahiya Magical Connection Proclamation—or whatever they called it.

He'd no sooner finished his task when he felt a sharp sting in his head, causing him to double over in pain. However, as he glanced up slowly, he saw the cause of his pain, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Kitanya?"

The woman smirked as she snapped her fingers, breaking the magical connection and causing her master to visibly relax a little bit. "Perceptive. For once. Now, then, I believe you and I have some matters to attend to, and I'm afraid we can't do that unless I have your undivided attention."

"What are you—ahh?!" He felt tight magical bonds begin forcing their way around his body, and to his surprise, one even began tightening around his neck. "Kitanya, what is the meaning of this?!" He grasped at the neck bonds, trying to keep them from choking him.

"Of _course_ you're confused about this, right?" She rolled her eyes, maintaining her concentration and hold on the man. "See what happens when you don't pay attention? See what happens when you show favoritism?" She lifted her left arm, the sleeve yet again falling back and revealing the mark of _Notis Ordinis_.

"Kitanya," Master Elgraste gasped in horror as he attempted to overcome her magical hold, his knuckles turning white during his attempt to remove the bonds around his neck. His eyes trailed from the dark mark on her arm to her narrowed, reddened eyes. "Y-You… You joined a dark magic cult?"

"What concern is it of yours?" she snapped, glaring at him as she tightened the magical hold on him, smirking as he struggled to breathe. "A _real_ mentor would have noticed something like this years ago— _eight_ years ago, when I first received it, in fact." She frowned as she scoffed at his widened eyes. "But _no_ —you were more concerned about your precious Dexter and his successes. This is all your fault. _You_ allowed a thirteen-year-old girl to get involved in something dangerous _just_ to get a _little_ guidance from you…"

"You know I cared about you," he rasped as he managed to slightly loosen the bonds. "I wanted to see you succeed!"

"LIAR!"

"Kitanya, please! Let's talk this over. And maybe then you can explain to me your train of thought when you got yourself involved in a _cult_ —"

She growled and pulled the bonds tightly, causing him to fall to his knees with a loud groan. "There's nothing to talk about, old man. The Kitanya you knew is _gone_. Do you know what she went through, just to get your approval and attention? The pain inflicted upon her?"

"Kitanya…" He gasped as she released her magical hold on him. Weakened, he just stared at his protégé, panting softly.

"The loss of…?" She stopped speaking before she allowed herself to demonstrate any form of emotion. She knew she'd said too much when he gaped at her.

"What did they do to you?" he asked, horrified.

She glared at him, knocking him back with another blast of magic. "Far worse than you can imagine. But I did what I had to in order to be who I am. And it _still_ wasn't good enough for you." She smirked as he groaned in pain again, no longer able to move. "For that reason, I intend to get my revenge _today_ , one way or another."

* * *

The Enchancian friends and Mahiyan siblings finished their breakfast before heading to the crystal tower to meet up with Master Elgraste. Along the way, while Cedric and Dexter were chatting about the paperwork, Brexley noticed that Sofia had begun shaking a bit again.

The little girl reached out and took one of Sofia's hands, smiling calmly as the startled teen stared at her. Though she was unable to speak or hear, her vision worked _very_ well, and she could easily see how distraught the older girl looked. Gently, she squeezed her new friend's hand in reassurance.

Sofia smiled appreciatively, feeling her nerves beginning to dissipate a bit as they followed the guys. She signed 'thank you' and received a pleased grin from the younger girl. As they walked, she pondered on the fact that even _Brexley_ had picked up on her nerves. Of course, the child was extremely perceptive, but… The closer they got to that tower, the more nervous she became.

Dexter led them all through one of the back ways to the tower, guiding them around a few secret passages before ascending to the older man's main workspace. The tower was a lot larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside, which was evidently something Master Elgraste had done on purpose. He liked the idea of challenging perspectives, or something of that nature.

When they arrived at the door that would open into his workspace, Dexter frowned upon realizing it was locked.

"He never locks his door," he informed the others, his hand firmly clutched around the doorknob.

Sofia pulled Brexley to her side, gently holding onto the girl. Her nervous feeling was growing even stronger now…

"Allow me," Cedric offered, using a spell to magically unlock the door. As it creaked open, he nodded to Dexter, who walked inside first.

It was rather dark in the room, which the quartet noted was kind of strange, especially for it being midmorning. It was also awfully quiet for somewhere usually bustling with experiments or magical happenings. It was just…odd.

Dexter used his own wand to illuminate the place, sending light to every corner of the room and above them so that they could see. And he instantly wished he hadn't…

Master Elgraste was bound to a makeshift 'throne' in the center of the room, his head hung low and what appeared to be…blood…matting his long hair, which hung in clumps around his shoulders. Upon further inspection, a gash on his head was likely the culprit for all the blood.

"Master Elgraste!" Dexter gasped, hurrying over to the man.

Sofia's eyes widened at the old man's state, but she instantly turned around, pulling Brexley with her, wanting to spare the girl the horrible sight. Of all the times she could have been right about a feeling, this was one she _really_ wished hadn't come true.

"What happened?" Dexter asked as he began untying the Mahiyan leader, careful not to irritate any of the numerous lacerations and injuries he'd somehow withstood. They spanned from his head to his neck and even down to his chest and arms, his fabric cut with what was probably magic.

"Who did this?" Cedric asked, his eyes narrowed, and his hand clutched around his own wand.

Master Elgraste looked up at them, his eyes practically sunken in and his voice raspy as he responded, "K-Kitanya…"

"Kitanya?" Sofia asked in shock as she whirled around, Brexley spinning beside her.

" _Kitanya_?!" Dexter echoed, shock and horror just as evident on his own face.

"You called?"

Everyone turned back to see the woman in question standing there, her fluffy cat situated on a table next to her and looking every bit as menacing as she did. Her arms were folded, and her usual honey eyes were coated in red, glaring challengingly at them. A smirk was fixed on her face.

"What have you done to our master?" Dexter demanded as he stepped up, pushing the girls behind him.

Kitanya chuckled evilly as she held out one hand, dark energy coursing through her veins and forming in her palm. "Nothing he didn't deserve," she cooed saccharinely. "And nothing nearly as unpleasant as what I intend to do to _you_ , Dexter."

"You leave them alone!" Sofia demanded, ignoring her nerves and stepping up beside Dexter, withdrawing her wand and feeling her Enchantlet tighten around her wrist. Her role as a Protector wasn't just limited to her own realm, she felt. It now carried over to _all_ realms. Helping people was her calling, and she couldn't let this wicked woman get away with what she'd done.

Kitanya smiled cruelly as she then turned to the young teen. "But first, let's get rid of the pesky princess, shall we?"

Cedric gasped as the woman charged her dark magic once again. "Sofia!" He took off running toward her.

"And your sorcerer friend can go next! Say goodbye, Princess!" The blast left her fingers instantly, her dark magic aimed to strike Sofia…

But that's when everything went black.

To be continued…

* * *

Ending Note 1: _Notis Ordinis_ translates to "Macbeth Order" from Latin. I'd like to thank bellechat for making that connection with "Something wicked this way comes." lol This does sort of have a Shakespearean/Macbeth feel to it, and I'm SO glad someone mentioned my favorite play! For that reason, the order was named after it. :D


	21. With or Without You

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: This is probably the most emotional chapter, and I've had one part of this chapter written for months now with a few changes here and there. _This_ is why I've been strengthening the bond between Sofia and Cedric this whole time, because they're about to be tested. Side note—many of you are probably going to want to slap Cedric by the end of this chapter… While I can't blame you, just wait till chapter 22 before you proceed, and see if it makes any difference. Lol!

Note: Quick shout-out to one of my guest reviewers, Mino, from Denmark. Wow, thank you for your kind words! 😊 Those are much appreciated. Thank you for reading and commenting. I never know who all actually reads my stories, but every single person who does means the world to me. That goes for ALL of you. 😉 Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter 21  
With or Without You**

 **Summary: In a fit of rage after losing something important thanks to Kitanya and Tiya, Cedric takes his frustration out on Sofia and makes a cold declaration that the princess never saw coming.**

* * *

Sofia opened her eyes and groaned in discomfort, finding that she was lying in a heap on the floor. And she didn't appear to be alone either. It was still dark, so she couldn't see anything, but she recognized the fabric of the sleeves by touch, enshrouding the arms that had encircled her in a protective manner. "Mr. Cedric," she whispered, sliding out of his arms and turning to face him, or so she assumed. "Mr. Cedric, are you okay?"

Cedric murmured something before reaching out uncertainly, sighing in relief as his hand came in contact with the princess's cheek. "Sofia," he gasped, instantly pulling her in for a close hug. "You're alive!"

She smiled at his reaction and hugged him back. "Of course I am… Why wouldn't I…?" She trailed off as she recalled what just happened maybe only a few minutes ago. She'd been standing before Kitanya, who had intended to blast her with her dark magic. She noticed, however, that she didn't have any pain, save for perhaps being a little sore from falling, so apparently the blast had missed her. Right?

"Sorry for knocking you down so hard," Cedric mumbled to her. "I didn't want her to hit you with that magic."

Sofia couldn't believe it. Actually, no, she could. He'd saved her _again_. "Did you have anything to do with the darkness?"

"No… That wasn't me." He shuffled around a bit, locating his family wand. With a quick illumination spell, he lit up the workspace, only to discover that they were alone. He frowned, standing up and pulling Sofia with him.

"Where did everyone go?" Sofia asked, slightly panicked. "Dexter and Brexley? Master Elgraste?" She scowled as she realized what must have happened. "Kitanya. She probably took advantage of the situation and took them all. Despite what she said, _we_ aren't who she was really after. Master Elgraste and Dexter are. I just wish we knew where they went…" She gasped in realization before bringing her hand down to her Enchantlet. "Which-Way Bow!" She aimed upward. "Show us the way to Master Elgraste of Mahiya." With a quick draw, she released the magical arrow, frowning as it flew out of the workspace. "I have that bad feeling again, Mr. Cedric…"

He nodded as she began tugging him along. "So do I…"

* * *

In the dungeon area of the castle, or rather Kitanya's lair, Master Elgraste sat chained to Dexter and Brexley in the center of the room. All of them were struggling to loosen their bonds, although the Mahiyan leader was far less active due to his wounds. Both Dexter and Master Elgraste had gags shoved into their mouths, but Kitanya hadn't even bothered with Brexley.

" _Little good silencing someone who's never said a word in her life_ ," she'd mocked, her wicked grin aimed toward the frightened girl.

"Kitanya," Dexter snapped, his eyes narrowed as she ignored him and instead continued rifling through one of her spell books. "Let us go. The Kitanya I knew would _never_ do something this awful, especially to people who are supposed to be her friends."

 _That_ got her to stop. She banged her hands against the wooden table, causing it to shake and dispel a few glass vials, each shattering against the cold stone floor. "The Kitanya you knew is _dead_ , Dexter." She turned and glared at him. "And I don't know what all this 'friend' stuff is about. You were _never_ my friend."

"What about when I was five years old, and I almost fell off that cliff?"

She snarled, "Stop it."

"Who saved me? _You_!"

"Shut up!" She approached him quickly, both of her hands extended to him, the dark energy already beginning to flow. "You think you're so smart, Dexter. The _prodigy_ of Mahiya… I may have saved you when we were children, but that was long before any of this happened… Before I had to change everything I am just to get _some_ notion of recognition and affection." She scowled bitterly. "What a waste… Even after all of that, _no one_ cared about me…"

"What are you _talking_ about?" the boy asked in complete confusion. "People cared about you—"

"They cared about _you_! And your sister! And your parents getting murdered! Everything was always about _you_!" She fisted her hands, sealing off the dark magic for now as she glared into his brown eyes. "And now, for once, it's about _me_ … Once I finish my quest, no one will even remember who you are." She huffed and grabbed the heart and dagger pendant dangling from her neck and stomped back over to the table, where her book still lay open.

"That's not Kitanya," Master Elgraste lamented mournfully as he groaned, still in a great deal of pain from his wounds. "She's right. Whatever semblance of the girl I once taught is no longer there. Some dark spirit is residing in her, Dexter, and I'm afraid it may be too late for her…"

Dexter sighed heavily as Brexley shifted beside him, managing to lean her head on his shoulder. "You're the one who always told me that nothing was impossible, Master Elgraste."

The old man sighed, slowly shaking his head. "It appears I was wrong."

* * *

Cedric chased after Sofia as she hurriedly followed the arrow, which had flown through the underground entrance of the castle. He panted, not used to a whole lot of activity, and stopped momentarily. He placed his hands on his knees, continuing to pant. "Go on without me!"

Sofia stopped quickly, sighing in annoyance, and then hurried back to her mentor, grabbing his arm and pulling him along, despite his protests. "We can't stop, Mr. Cedric. They're in danger!" She frowned as they followed the flying arrow. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to them…"

He was surprised to hear the seriousness lacing his friend's tone. She certainly had matured a great deal in the last few years, and to hear her speak that way now both impressed him and sent shivers down his spine. Sofia was still Sofia, but she was so much more than that now… She possessed the spirit of a leader, an adventurer… A Protector. A _true_ Protector.

They came to an abrupt halt when they heard a loud yowl from near a door, under which the arrow had flown. Tiya, Kitanya's cat, stood firmly before them, her green eyes narrowed and a somewhat intimidating smirk on her lips.

"Going somewhere, Princess?" she asked in a sugary tone, a little 'meow' wrapping up the question.

"Move it, you fiendish feline!" Cedric ordered, withdrawing his wand. Before he could even say anything, Tiya jumped up and clawed his neck, taking his wand in her teeth and jumping to the ground again. "Argh! You wretch! She took my wand!"

Sofia withdrew her own wand. "I'll get it back. _Prohib—_ ahh!" She winced in pain as Tiya clawed at her legs, ripping through the purple leggings as she did so. With Sofia incapacitated for the time being, Tiya grabbed Sofia's wand in her mouth, both of their wands now stolen as she ran off to another part of the castle.

" _Fantastic_!" Cedric growled, growing angry. "That horrid cat made off with our wands. Now what?"

Sofia, thinking fast, reached into her tunic pocket and pulled out her Necessi-Key. "This should come in handy." She created a new door in the locked door before them, pushing it open and stepping inside, only to scream.

"Sofia!" Cedric hurried in after her and gasped.

Kitanya stood still in the lair, and she now had Sofia in her grasp and her own wand pointed at the girl's throat. "Stop right there, sorcerer, or I'll kill the princess where she stands."

Cedric stopped without any further prompting, his gaze transfixed on his frightened apprentice. "Let her go. Take me instead."

"Mr. Cedric, no!"

"Shut up!" Kitanya jabbed the wand tip against the teen's neck, smirking as she whimpered in pain. "Now, here's what you're both going to do. _I_ have unfinished business to attend to here, and I'm about sick to death of the two of you interfering. When Dexter cast the darkness spell earlier, I was livid that I didn't blast this princess to pieces." She smirked as Sofia winced. "However, I realized… Destroying the two of you will do me little good. You don't belong here. _You_ are not my problem. So here's the deal…" She shoved Sofia back to Cedric, who caught her quickly. "I'm going to teleport you back to your little apartment. You're going to pack your bags, you're going to go home, and you're not going to say a _word_ about this to _anyone_. Got it?"

Sofia looked past her at the trio who were still chained up, and she scowled at the woman. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged, you brat," Kitanya snapped, pointing her wand at her.

"No!" Cedric grabbed Sofia to him, protecting her from any potential blast. "We'll do it. Just don't harm Sofia."

The evil sorceress chuckled wickedly. "I knew you'd come to see it my way." She snapped her fingers once, and the two friends vanished. She sauntered back over to the remaining three and smirked at their worried expressions before clutching the pendant around her neck, causing it to glow in her hand. "Sit back and enjoy the show," she drawled darkly. "You're in for quite a surprise."

* * *

Cedric and Sofia opened their eyes to find that they were back in their apartment, as Kitanya had intended. It didn't take them long, however, to realize that both Cedric's family wand and Sofia's new wand were still missing, courtesy of the meddlesome Tiya.

Growling in frustration, Cedric stomped down the hallway to his room, yanking his suitcase from under his bed and tossing it onto the bed. "Maybe she's right," he huffed as Sofia quickly chased after him. "Maybe we're better off just leaving. This would have happened either way, regardless of our being here… We're just interfering."

"Mr. Cedric, you can't mean that," Sofia pleaded, clasping her hands together as she hurried toward him. "They need our help! They're our friends!"

"We hardly know them," he responded calmly as he began pulling his clothes from the chest of drawers, tossing them into the bag.

"We know them enough to be responsible," she declared, glaring at him. "You can't just walk away from them! We can't leave them, Mr. Cedric! You're better than this—I know you care about them just as much as I do! We-!"

" _Sofia_!" Cedric snapped, garnering her attention and causing her to jump a bit at his tone. "You don't understand. Our wands are _gone_ , all because that wretched woman decided that she despises her master and has some ridiculous vendetta against Dexter, and we may _never_ get them back. I can't keep doing this!" He finished packing his suitcase and slammed the lid shut. "I'm tired of traveling. I'm tired of attempting to fix things that simply won't change." He stared at her with a stern look. "And as much as I appreciate your constant faith in me, I'm tired of acting as your guardian and mentoring a princess who's clearly got a brighter future ahead of her as a queen or other royal persona—a title far more elaborate and ornate than that of a sorceress, regardless of your new powers."

Sofia just stood stone still, frozen to her spot as Cedric hauled up his suitcase and marched toward the door. And then his words clicked. He'd actually thought she could be a…

"Wand or no wand, I'll use my own magic if I have to just to get out of here, even if it drains all my energy. I'm going back to Enchancia…with or without you." That said, the sorcerer shut the door behind him.

The princess lifted her hands to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Was he really…just going to leave her like that? Frustrated and heartbroken, she sank to her knees and sobbed.

To be continued…


	22. Cedric's Revelation

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Aww, you guys… First of all, for theblindwriter95: *hands heart back* I'm sorry. Here you go. Haha. I _told_ you it was going to be a bit emotional. But with this chapter, you'll get a little bit more happiness. It's chapter 22, after all! My favorite number. 😉 (Yes, I did that on purpose. :D) Don't worry. It's about to get even more intense after this chapter. We're about to wrap this story up. 😉 Also, this chapter is much shorter, but it was set aside _just_ for this scene, so there's that. :D

* * *

 **Chapter 22  
Cedric's Revelation**

 **Summary: While preparing to return to Enchancia, Cedric overhears Sofia crying and attempting to speak to Chrysta via her Enchantlet. Disappointed in his actions, he decides to intervene and make amends with his apprentice.**

* * *

Cedric hadn't even given his reaction a second thought until he arrived in the living room, his suitcase firmly clutched in his hand. It was then that he paused and dropped the bag onto the floor, sighing heavily and dropping onto the sofa. "What have I done?" he murmured to himself, running a hand over his face.

He'd completely just gone off on the one person who'd always given him such encouragement and thoughtful words, all because he was frustrated about losing their wands. "I'm an idiot," he declared with resolve, shaking his head and standing to his feet. "I have to make it up to her…"

He moved back down to his room and slowly pushed the door open, only to see Sofia crumpled to the floor, her cheeks reddened from crying, and tears flowing every now and then, despite how she tried to wipe them away. Her hairband had come completely undone, and her hair was scattered all over the carpet that she now lay upon. To make matters worse, she seemed to be speaking to someone via her Enchantlet, and he inwardly groaned in dismay when he realized exactly who it was.

"I can't believe he yelled at you like that," Chrysta snarled, pacing back and forth in the view of Sofia's Enchantlet projection. "Wait till I get my hands on him."

"Chrysta, I don't know wh-what to do," Sofia managed as she wiped at her eyes with her left hand. "M-Mr. Cedric is my best friend and my guardian—my mentor… I can't believe he'd leave me… A-And I can't just leave the ones who've gotten captured. I'd feel awful if I left, knowing that they're probably going to… To…" She sniffled, her tears flowing yet again at the thought of losing her new friends to a wayward sorceress.

Cedric winced at her words and finally decided enough was enough. He pushed the door open and walked inside, his gait a bit slower than usual and his head low in guilt. "Sofia…"

The princess turned with a startled gasp, her blue eyes still shimmering with tears. She then frowned. "Mr. Cedric, I thought you were gone…"

"Is that him?!" Chrysta's voice called from the Enchantlet. "Hey, sorcerer! Why don't you pick on someone your own size? You really think it's a good idea to shut out the main person who cares about you, you noodle nose?!"

"Chrysta!" Sofia sighed in frustration and blushed in embarrassment at her trainer's words. "I'll talk to you later." With that, she cut off the communication and turned back to her friend, who knelt next to her on the carpet. "You really hurt my feelings earlier," she admitted softly as she sat up, her fingers entwining and her head lowered, her loosened hair blocking her visage of him and brushing the floor.

"I know," he responded quietly. "I… I guess I was just so angry with Kitanya and her horrid cat that I took out my anger on you." He reached out with one hand and gently tilted her head up, the pad of his thumb brushing away her tears. "You didn't deserve that, Sofia. I'm so sorry…"

"Mr. Cedric, I've always said we're a team," she reminded him as she reached up to grasp his hand. "I wish, for once, you'd believe me when I say that. I know you're upset about our wands, but we _can_ get them back. And we _can_ save Master Elgraste, Dexter, and Brexley. I don't give these speeches for fun—I give them because I _mean_ them."

He chuckled wryly and nodded, sighing. "I realize that. You always mean what you say." He shook his head slowly. "Can you ever forgive me for my terrible actions earlier?"

"Well… _I_ can." She giggled lightly as she gestured toward her Enchantlet. "I can't speak for Chrysta though."

The sorcerer rolled his eyes. "She's always going to find some reason to dislike me, so I'm not entirely surprised. The only person I care about accepting my apology is you."

Sofia nodded and offered him a kind smile. "I've forgiven you before, Mr. Cedric, and I can do it again." She leaned forward and hugged him, her arms resting tightly around his neck as she laid her head against his shoulder. She felt his arms rest against her back, his hands stroking her hair. "I love you, Mr. Cedric…"

Cedric smiled thoughtfully. At this point, he'd heard her say that far more than a handful of times, usually after something life-changing, tragic, exceptionally endearing…the bigger moments of their lives. Of course, as far as he was concerned, this counted as one of those big moments. And even still, he found that she was beginning to say it more often, regardless of circumstances. It was a wonderful feeling to have the unconditional love of someone who _truly_ believed in him and wanted the best for him. "I love you, too, Sofia… So very much…" He slowly rocked them back and forth, continuing to hold her gently. "Nothing will ever change that."

She giggled a bit as she sat back, reaching up and placing her hand against his cheek. "We'll succeed. Don't give up, Mr. Cedric. I'm still with you. And I'll be with you through the rest of it, until we win."

He gave her a calm smile, grasping the hand against his face. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go."

Sofia nodded and recovered her hairband from the floor, quickly tying her hair back into a messy ponytail before hopping to her feet and pulling Cedric up as well. "Before we do anything, we're going to need some help."

"From who?" he wondered as she started tugging him from the room.

"From Mahiya."

To be continued…


	23. Strength in Numbers

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: And here's where you'll get to see Sofia in action. 😉 She's doing what she does best: protecting people and trying to get everyone ready for a showdown. :D

* * *

 **Chapter 23  
Strength in Numbers**

 **Summary: Cedric and Sofia call on the inhabitants of Mahiya to prepare to take down Kitanya.**

* * *

Cedric attempted to take in a quick breath as he and Sofia hurried through the marketplace, swiftly avoiding colliding into people as they did so. "S-Sofia!" he called, his heart pounding at the overexertion. "Wh-Where exactly are we going?"

She suddenly stopped in the middle of the marketplace, her friend nearly crashing into her but managing to avoid doing so somehow. "Master Elgraste is the ruler of this kingdom," she mentioned thoughtfully as she also caught her breath. She glanced toward Cedric, seeing his confused nod. "Mahiya is doing really well, wouldn't you say? Even with no outside trade or communication."

He frowned. "What exactly is your point?"

"If the kingdom does well, that's a reflection on leadership, or at least that's usually the case. And my theory is that most of it is due to Master Elgraste." She gestured around. "If we tell everyone that he's been captured, surely they'll rise up and help us fight Kitanya."

Cedric sighed and shook his head. "Sofia, as much as I admire your optimism, many people choose to let others handle things like that. They figure it's too dangerous to get involved."

Sofia frowned at his words. "That's not what happened in Avalor, when Princess Elena led her entire kingdom to overthrow Shuriki."

"We're not in Avalor," he argued, noting his voice becoming a bit stern. He sighed and backed off quickly, realizing that his tone could have been misconstrued as being angry like earlier. "I just…don't want you to get your hopes up, Sofia."

The princess sighed as her look changed to one of concern. "At this point, Mr. Cedric, hope is all we've got left. Come on!" She quickly pulled him along yet again, heading off to communicate with different Mahiyan inhabitants.

Meanwhile...

"Kitanya," Dexter spoke calmly, though at this rate his voice betrayed his nerves. He was wary of the situation in which he and the other two had been placed. He didn't like the direction things were heading… Especially as he watched the sorceress pouring numerous ingredients into her giant cauldron, the oar magically stirring it as smoke billowed from within. "If nothing else, at _least_ let Brexley go."

The dark-haired woman turned to glare at the young wizard.

"She's innocent, and you know she doesn't deserve to be here."

Kitanya fixed her glare on Dexter for a few more moments before growling and blasting the chains that held Brexley captive, causing her to collapse onto the hard floor.

Brexley looked around in confusion, her big brown eyes widening as she realized what had just happened. Quickly, she hopped to her feet, only to be met with an irritated Kitanya reaching out and grabbing her by her _signdant_.

"You won't need an interpreter for this one, kid," she seethed, making sure she spoke slowly and clearly so that the girl could read her lips. "Get lost, before I change my mind and destroy you too." With that, she shoved the girl backwards, smirking as she fell against the floor again.

Brexley made a little sound of pain before pulling herself up to her knees, standing again and moving over to her brother, signing desperately to him.

Dexter shook his head as he realized that Brexley was signing about freeing him. He chose to utilize her ability to read lips for the next part of the communication, knowing very well that she would sign her response.

" _Don't worry about us. Go find help."_

" **What about Princess Sofia and Mr. Cedric?"**

" _If they are still here, yes. They are powerful and could help us. If not, get the guards. But be careful."_

" **I will. I love you."**

Dexter smiled as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek before hurrying out of the room. "I love you too, Brex," he whispered to himself. He glanced over to Master Elgraste, who had pretty much passed out, probably from exhaustion, and maybe even from blood loss. He sincerely hoped his mentor and friend wasn't… His eyes narrowed as they trained on the sorceress again. "I hope you're happy with yourself."

"I am, thanks for asking." She tossed a few more ingredients into the cauldron, smirking as they caused a mini explosion.

As she moved to grab the next few ingredients, Dexter finally focused on the heart and dagger pendant around her neck and frowned thoughtfully. He didn't recognize it, and he knew she'd never worn something like that before. Kitanya had always preferred to wear the golden chain with an emerald stone dangling from it—the one Master Elgraste had given her when she was younger to protect her from danger. Apparently, it could ward off evil or something… He scoffed internally, realizing the irony: _she_ was the evil one now… It would be stupid to ward off _yourself_ , wouldn't it?

"What exactly are you planning to do with that?" He hadn't wanted to ask, but it was quite obvious that whatever she was creating had something to do with him and Master Elgraste. He figured he had the right to know.

Kitanya smirked as she poured a thick red substance into the cauldron. "You'll find out soon enough… Don't worry." A dark chuckle erupted from her, causing Dexter to shiver in dread.

* * *

"Excuse me!" Sofia called, trying to get peoples' attention. No one seemed to be paying her any mind, and very few people had probably even heard her. This had been going on for a while now, and she was growing frustrated. She huffed and hurried toward a stack of crates, climbing up them and standing on top of the wall that separated the marketplace from the outside of Mahiya.

"Sofia, get down!" Cedric insisted, his tone more worried than irritated. "I don't want you to fall!"

"I'm fine, Mr. Cedric." She lifted her Enchantlet, smiling mischievously. "Time to get their attention." She created her lasso and released it, grabbing several items out of peoples' hands or stands and releasing them on top of the awning of a nearby stand.

"HEY!" one man called angrily. "Give me back my fish!"

"And my cloths!" a woman shouted. "I need them to make my dress!"

A crowd had soon gathered, the members of it all angry with the princess's actions.

"I will give everything back," Sofia promised, calming them down. "But I had to get your attention somehow. I need you all to listen to me." She gestured toward the castle, which was within walking distance from there. "Master Elgraste and Dexter and Brexley of Mahiya have been abducted, and they need our help to save them." She retracted her lasso and instinctively grasped her amulet. "We can pool our powers, and—"

"We can't do that," an older woman returned, shaking her head. "Despite what you may believe, young lady, we citizens aren't the ones with powers."

Cedric blinked in surprise as he heard that.

"Only Master Elgraste, his staff, and the selected ones for training have magic still. The rest of us are just normal human beings who've been lucky enough to reside here in Mahiya."

Sofia was baffled by this information. How could they _not_ have magic? "And why don't you guys have magic…?"

"Master Elgraste took them years ago," a man responded, folding his arms. "He said it was for our safety."

"That sounds rather questionable," Cedric murmured as Sofia hopped down from the wall and stood next to him.

"The magic in Mahiya was becoming dangerous," another man explained. "It was tainted with signs of corruption. Because he didn't want anything bad to happen to _us_ , Master Elgraste asked us to forfeit our powers until he could determine what was happening." He sighed. "That was…eight years ago?"

"Right," a woman echoed. "We can't possibly save them without magic."

Sofia and Cedric exchanged glances. Eight years ago… Wasn't that when Kitanya had returned with her dark magic abilities? Had she somehow managed to taint all these people and their magic? With a quick gesture, Sofia used her lasso once again to retrieve the captured items, sending them back to their owners. Then, she grabbed her friend's hand and quickly guided him toward the castle.

"What exactly are we going to do now?" Cedric asked as they approached the building. "The citizens are no help. You heard them when you said master Elgraste and the others were captured: 'We can't possibly save them without magic.' They're not even willing to _try_."

Sofia frowned. "Then I guess it's up to us. So much for strength in numbers…" She gasped as she felt a small form crash into her, and glancing down, she saw Brexley scrambling to her feet. She quickly grabbed the girl's arms and helped her stand. "Brexley?! Are you all right?"

Brexley quickly signed something, but without her brother there to interpret, she was just gesturing emphatically to the Enchancians. She sighed in a huff and grew upset, tears stinging in the corners of her eyes.

Sofia sighed, just as frustrated as the younger girl. "Brexley, I'm sorry… I wish I could understand you." She glanced at her amulet as it suddenly began glowing, only to calm down a moment later. "Oh…"

Cedric looked toward his apprentice, who gazed at him uncertainly. "Give it a try…"

She nodded before looking toward the five-year-old. "Brexley…" She took her hands momentarily and smiled gently. "Try signing to me again."

Blinking at the request, Brexley nodded as Sofia released her hands. She hesitantly signed to Sofia:

" _Kitanya let me go. Master Elgraste and my brother are still in trouble."_

"Has anything happened to them yet?" Sofia asked.

The little girl's mouth fell open when she realized that the princess had actually understood her. She signed her response: _"Not yet. Kitanya was making something in her cauldron…"_

"Ask her if she's seen that wretched cat with our wands," Cedric muttered, expecting a jab from Sofia for being one-track-minded. When it didn't come, he was surprised.

Sofia asked Brexley, "Have you seen Tiya?"

That didn't need an interpretation. She shook her head.

"Blasted fuzzball," the sorcerer huffed. "Fine. I suppose we'll have to utilize everything we _can_ to save them then. Between your amulet and Enchantlet, and both our internal magic… We may just be able to save them." He sighed. "I just know it would be better if we had our wands though."

As if on cue, Tiya came strolling out from behind the side of the building, the friends' wands still in her mouth. Upon seeing the glares from the two Enchancians, she panicked and turned, trying to run, but she tripped over a rock and tumbled to the ground, the wands rolling out of her mouth. She attempted to jump up to retrieve them, but a lasso worked its way around her, and she soon discovered that the Enchancian princess was now holding her captive. "Meddling princess," she spat, meowing fiercely as Cedric retrieved the two wands. "You may have your wands, but you'll never stop Kitanya."

"That's _your_ opinion," Sofia answered, smiling as Cedric passed her wand to her. She then smirked at the flustered feline. "You've been a bad kitty, Tiya. I think you need a time out." She nodded to Cedric, who used a spell to entrap the cat in a magical floating cage, which hovered high enough in the air and away from any buildings to encourage escape. She retracted her lasso again before calling the Mystic Isles, smiling as Orion and Vega answered. "Hey, you guys… I have a bit of a weird favor to ask."

* * *

After communicating with the Protectors and getting Brexley to safety, Cedric and Sofia returned to the castle. However, just as they were about to approach it, the entire structure suddenly imploded. Before they could react, though, Kitanya's lair somehow propelled from under the structure and hovered midair, the four walls that had once encapsulated it now gone. The skies even began darkening, and thunder clapped in the near distance as the sorceress poured over her cauldron, ominous green smoke rising from within.

Cedric's mouth dropped at the sight. "What exactly is she hoping to accomplish with this?"

Sofia frowned without answering and took off running toward the structure.

Cedric sputtered, "W-Wait for me!" He hurried after her.

Upon reaching the area directly beneath the floating lair, Sofia turned to her friend. "We need to get up there."

"I realize that, but how?"

She pondered for a moment before noting a few _airlows_ floating by. She smirked. "I have an idea."

* * *

"It's finished," Kitanya cackled as she whirled on the two captives, her eyes now a complete shade of red as she grinned sinisterly at them. "With this brew, I'll drain you both of your powers." She grasped her pendant. "And with this, I'll drain you both of your _lives_ … No one can stop me!"

"You think so?"

She snarled as she looked to the side, seeing Cedric and Sofia standing there, the wind ripping by and causing his robe and her Protector cape to billow out around them. " _You_! What are _you_ doing here?! I told you to leave!" She smirked suddenly, opening one hand and watching as the dark energy swirled in her palm. "Never mind. I'll handle you myself. _Venit malus custodibus_!"

The friends looked behind them, surprised to see four beings appear, each with their pupils a complete shade of red and each dressed in pitch black cloaks, which covered their bodies and their faces. While Sofia managed to escape, Cedric gasped as the evil beings entrapped him, tossing his wand away, the magical object coming to a halt before Dexter's feet.

Sofia gasped and ducked as a frustrated Kitanya hurled a blast of magic her way. "Kitanya, stop!" She whimpered as the next blast hit her arm, singeing through the fabric and causing her to wince, though she continued toward the woman. She narrowed her eyes in determination.

" _She wasn't always this cruel,_ " the princess thought to herself. _"She's been hurt, I can tell, even if it was unintentional… Master Elgraste wouldn't have made her his protégé in the first place if she'd always been this way…_ " She frowned. " _I've got to do something…_ "

"You think you can take me down, little princess?" Kitanya challenged with a malicious cackle as she sent another wave of magic the girl's way, smirking as it hit her, causing her to trip over a loose section of flooring, which sent her spiraling to the floor in a heap.

"Sofia!" Cedric called in horror as he struggled against Kitanya's assailants, his attempts feeble at best.

Sofia panted and shakily sat up, grimacing in discomfort as she felt her hairband ripping against the jagged stone and falling away, her hair freeing itself from her ponytail and whipping around her in the harsh wind. The thunder clapped again in the background, the skies darkening even more, and lightning even struck nearby. The princess glared at the wicked sorceress and attempted once again to stand, only to whimper and collapse to the floor once more.

"Hmph." A smirk spread over the woman's lips as she glared down at the teen. "And _this_ is the Protector I'm supposed to be afraid of? You can't even take a direct hit without falling to your knees!"

"Leave her alone!" Cedric ordered as he fought against the evil beings holding him captive yet again. "She's done nothing to you!"

Kitanya turned her glance toward him, her back now to the princess. "She's done nothing _for_ me either. Really, your entire Ever Realm would be better off without the princess. Wouldn't you agree, Cedric?" She grinned as Cedric's mouth fell open in shock, and as she turned to point her wand at the fallen girl, she realized something rather quickly. A frown set on her features. "Where did she go?!"

"Hey, Kitanya!"

The sorceress turned and gasped as she saw Sofia hovering in the air on an _airlow_ , her arms and legs crossed and a triumphant smile on her face as her hair blew out behind her.

"Looking for me?"

Kitanya snarled, "Why, you little-!"

Sofia grasped her amulet with her right hand, noting as both the necklace and the Enchantlet activated at the same time. She then lifted her left hand, which began glowing with a softer light, the magical energy beneath a familiar shade of purple.

"You think you'll destroy me?" the woman sneered.

"No," Sofia corrected as her amulet and Enchantlet also began glowing. "I think I can help you."

To be continued…


	24. Redeeming Qualities

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Time for the moment of truth. 😉 Kitanya has done some awful things, but you all know that awful things have happened to her as well. Sofia's empathetic nature has finally come shining through, and she realizes what she has to do, no matter _what_ happens to herself. 😊

Note: As the show has finished, I'm taking a _huge_ liberty with Sofia's powers and abilities in this chapter. Maybe she wouldn't be able to do what she does here; maybe she would. However, in my future stories, what happens in this chapter is going to have a profound effect on her and will change some things down the line. :D Also...heavy stuff ahead.

* * *

 **Chapter 24  
Redeeming Qualities**

 **Summary: When all hope seems lost, Sofia does what she does best: she sacrifices her safety to help someone in need.**

* * *

 **Previously…**

 _Sofia grasped her amulet with her right hand, noting as both the necklace and the Enchantlet activated at the same time. She then lifted her left hand, which began glowing with a softer light, the magical energy beneath a familiar shade of purple._

" _You think you'll destroy me?" the woman sneered._

" _No," Sofia corrected as her amulet and Enchantlet also began glowing. "I think I can help you."_

* * *

"You can't _help_ me," Kitanya declared with a bite, glaring at the girl before her. "Look around you, Princess. Look what I'm capable of. Does it look like I need help?"

Sofia frowned. "You've been hurt."

"Wow, it's true what they say about you!" she laughed. "Hopelessly naïve. Do-gooder. Meddlesome."

"You don't have to let all of this define who you are."

"Newsflash, Princess!" Kitanya reached forward and wrapped her hands around Sofia's neck, glaring at her with those awful red eyes as Sofia attempted to stop her, her hands clasping around the woman's wrists. "This _is_ who I am…"

"Sofia!" Cedric yelled, frantically trying to break from the evil beings' hold, but to no avail. He felt utterly helpless without his wand… His wand. "Dexter!"

Dexter turned slightly, barely able to see Cedric over his shoulder.

"Kick my wand to me!"

"Um, I don't know if that's such a good idea…" He began looking around. "We're kind of in the air, and there's a strong wind blowing… If I kick it now, it's just going to fall off and probably get lost…" He instead managed to pull the wand between his feet, preventing it from going anywhere. "I'll keep it secure instead."

"How is that going to help me save Sofia?!"

"It's not," Dexter told him apologetically, sighing. "I hate to say it, Cedric, but… I think it's up to her to save herself."

Cedric had no doubt that his apprentice _could_ save herself, but…this situation was so dangerous and unpredictable, and with the powers of a dark magic cult involved, he was afraid of the outcome.

"Still think you can save me?" Kitanya growled, her grip on the girl's neck tightening, Sofia's breathing slowing.

"Y-Yes…" Between her lessening oxygen and her bleary vision, she was able to see the pendant that dangled from the woman's neck. She released one of Kitanya's wrists and reached forward, and with all the energy she had remaining, she yanked it from her neck, breaking the chain.

"What are you doing?!" the sorceress screamed, her hold on Sofia loosening.

"Saving your life." Clutching the pendant in the same hand as her amulet and reaching out her other hand to Kitanya's heart, she declared, "I wish Kitanya would be healed of all her pain, all her anger, and the dark magic that's in her heart…" She felt the amulet beginning to warm beneath her fingers, but the dark pendant also began heating up, sparking even in her grasp. At some point, she could have sworn she felt the sharp piercing of glass in her palm, but she ignored the pain and focused instead on her task. "Break the bond with this evil that's entrapping her soul…"

The light that began to pour from Sofia's hands, the Amulet of Avalor, her Enchantlet, and the dark pendant engulfed the entire area. Cedric and Dexter had to turn and close their eyes at the brightness, and even Master Elgraste moaned silently at the effect. And while Kitanya screamed in what was possibly pain, Sofia never uttered a word.

Cedric fell forward and crashed against the stone flooring, and when he glanced behind him, he saw the evil shrouded beings dissipating into thin air. Without a second thought, he scrambled forward and grabbed his wand, quickly breaking the chains that held Dexter and Master Elgraste captive. Concerned, he pressed two fingers to the side of the older man's neck, relieved to find a pulse but also disheartened at how weak it was.

Kitanya collapsed to the stone floor, her eyes closed.

Sofia followed soon after, but she panted heavily, trying to get much-needed oxygen to her brain again after the previous events. She looked at her amulet and noticed it was still shimmering, and the dark pendant in her hand was too. She frowned. That was strange… Shouldn't everything have settled down by now?

"Sofia!" Cedric hurried over to his friend, dropping beside her and enveloping her in his arms, burying his face into her hair and nearly sobbing. "I was so worried…" His voice was shaking, and unsurprisingly, so was he.

"I… I'm sorry, Mr. Cedric," she whispered, reaching out and returning his hug. "I'm… _so_ sorry…" Even as she hugged him, her eyes remained trained on that pendant, and she began to feel very, very strange.

Dexter helped Master Elgraste to his feet, only to have him lie down flat on the stony surface. "Stay here, Master Elgraste," he murmured gently. "I'm going to check on Kitanya, and I'll come back to get you." Seeing the man nod slightly, he hurried over to the collapsed sorceress, gathering her into his arms. "Kitanya, wake up…"

The dark-haired woman blinked her eyes open, her usual honey color restored. She frowned in confusion. "Dexter?"

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned. Despite how she'd treated him, Master Elgraste, and especially Brexley and the Enchancian visitors, he couldn't help but still have that soft spot for his former friend. She'd saved his life, after all, even if it did happen so long ago, before she'd become…so heartless.

As if waking up from a bad dream, Kitanya gasped, startled, as she pushed her sleeves back, inspecting her arms. "It… It's gone…" She blinked up at him. "The mark is gone. The one that linked me to… _Notis Ordinis_."

"Sofia did that," the young wizard informed her. "She…did some weird magic that I didn't even think possible, where she used hand magic, her Enchantlet, and the Amulet of Avalor to save you."

"But the pendant… Where is it?" She sat up and looked around frantically. "It has a brew in the glass part, and if it breaks, whoever it touches will…" She turned and looked toward Sofia, who was still locked in an embrace with Cedric, but she appeared to be rather still. "Oh, no…"

"What do you say we go back to the apartment and get some rest, hmm?" Cedric asked quietly as he settled down and gently brushed Sofia's hair with his fingers. He frowned when he didn't hear a response. "Sofia?" Gently easing her back he noticed that the princess's eyes were closed…and she didn't appear to be breathing either. He looked at the pendant clutched in her hand, and upon inspection, it appeared that the glass had broken in her grasp, and her own blood was stained on it. One more glance back at her pale face, and he made a horrifying realization. "No…" He threw the pendant aside and sobbed, holding her closely. "Sofia, no!"

Kitanya crawled over to the discarded pendant and picked it up, glaring at it. "This is all my fault…"

"Kitanya—" Dexter was silenced as she stood, holding her wand out at him.

"If I hadn't been so jealous, so selfish, then the princess would still be alive…" She looked down at the lifeless girl. "There's only one way to save her." She turned to Dexter, who seemed shocked. "I was the one who made the brew. I was the one who poured my life source into it. I was the one who secured the pendant." She frowned. "So I have to be the one to die. Only then can Sofia be saved… But we're running out of time." She handed him her wand. "So go ahead, Dexter. Destroy me and save an innocent princess who only meant to bring some light into my dark heart."

"I…" The boy clutched the wand, a chill running down his spine. "I can't, Kitanya! I…"

Master Elgraste suddenly groaned in pain and slowly sat up, turning toward them and holding out his hand to Dexter, who hesitantly passed him the wand. His head was still wounded, but the blood flow had ceased. And of course, he still looked rather worse for wear, but he was strong enough at the moment to do what needed to be done.

"Master Elgraste?" Dexter asked, uncertain about what was going to happen.

"Kitanya is right, Dexter," he said softly. "This whole matter _is_ her fault. However, she doesn't need to die in order for the princess to live. Sofia sacrificed herself to save Kitanya. A pure heart like that has the ability to change the world…" He smiled at them serenely as he pointed the wand at Sofia. "Take care of one another. And always remember how much I care about you… _both_ of you."

"Wait," Kitanya pleaded, understanding what he was going to do. "Master Elgraste, no!"

" _Muto vitae_."

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The light from the wand… The dead silence that flooded the area, save for the high-pitched ringing in their ears… The collapse… And then, it was over.

* * *

Hours later, hazy blue eyes blinked open in a familiar room. Sofia inhaled slowly as she attempted to move in her bed at the apartment, but she found that she was too weak. Looking down, she saw that her left hand was bandaged. Her Enchantlet and amulet had been removed, though she wasn't sure where they were. Normally she would have panicked, but right now she was more concerned with… "What happened…?"

Cedric, who had fallen asleep in his chair and was leaning over her bed, sat up after hearing her soft voice. He sighed in relief and reached out, gently running a hand through her hair. "Sofia… How are you feeling?"

"Sore," she told him honestly, figuring it would do no good to mask it now. "What happened to my hand?" She then gasped, trying to sit up, but Cedric's hand in her hair and his other one against her shoulder kept her down. "What happened with Kitanya?"

He sighed heavily and retracted his hands, clasping them both together on the bed. "You… You saved her."

She smiled happily. "I'm glad." And then she frowned, noting his serious features. "But…?"

"…Sofia, you nearly died." He stared at her, trying not to allow his emotions to overtake him again. "Kitanya said that the pendant you'd ripped from around her neck had broken, the glass shattering and cutting your palm, and the contents inside of it had spilled into your bloodstream. It was made to kill any who came in contact with it."

She blinked at this information. "But…I'm alive?"

"Yes… Kitanya informed Dexter that the only way to save you would be for the one who made it— _her_ —to be killed. So she handed Dexter her wand and told him to destroy her."

Sofia gasped in horror. "He didn't! Please tell me he didn't, Mr. Cedric…" She could hardly contain her anxiety at the thought of the sorceress falling anyway even after she'd saved her.

"He didn't…" He frowned at her sigh of relief. "He _couldn't_. But Master Elgraste…" He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of how to word this. "He was rather weakened by then. Still he took the wand from Dexter and told him that Kitanya didn't have to die in order for you to live. In essence, I think he was wrong, but…" He gazed at his friend, a very somber look on his features. "He used Kitanya's wand and told them both to take care of each other, and he…" He swallowed nervously. "He used the Sacrifice Spell."

The princess blinked, not comprehending. "What do you mean?"

Cedric clasped his hands over her injured one, making sure not to cause her anymore pain. "He traded his life for yours, Sofia, so that you could live…" He sighed and closed his eyes as she gasped, breathing raggedly. "He's gone…"

"No, no, no, no…" Sofia felt sick all of a sudden, but she forced it back as, instead, a steady stream of tears began falling from her eyes. "No, Master Elgraste…" She lifted her right hand to her face, a shuddering breath falling from her lips as she sobbed. "No…" She didn't make much effort to move when she felt the side of her bed shift, indicating that Cedric had sat down next to her. She felt herself gathered into his arms, and she cried into his robe, releasing all her anguish, disbelief, and overwhelming sadness. "No!" she wept again, her body wracked with sobs.

"Shh," Cedric whispered, rocking her back and forth and caressing her hair and back to soothe her. He wouldn't promise her that it was going to be all right, because that's probably the last thing she wanted to hear at that point. Instead, he just held her and let her cry herself to sleep once more.

To be continued…


	25. Home Sweet Home

Adventures in Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.

A/N: Time to have a bit of a wrap-up before allowing Cedric and Sofia to move on with their journey and, eventually, go home at last. 😊 Thank you all for being on this journey with _me_! I've enjoyed it. It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride, but the ride is finally slowing. _But_ it's not ending! We have my next series, Beyond Enchancia, coming up soon! Check out my Bio Page, and you'll find the link to the website that will give you a preview and a look into what's going to happen. The stories and their photo covers are all up. The song was made two months ago. The promo video is prepared. It needs only to be written, which is where I come in. I look to begin writing again maybe sometime next week after a break. 😉 Thanks again for reading! Enjoy the final chapter! Lots of updates and some big surprises in store. Also, someone needs to start carrying a pillow around for Amber. :D You'll see what I mean. Enjoy! ~AquaTurquoise

Note: I'm putting this story in a PDF and will place it on my Wix page. :) As of now, there are 245 total pages. o.o Wow! Haha!

* * *

 **Chapter 25  
Home Sweet Home**

 **Summary: After an eventful summer, Cedric and Sofia return to Enchancia, only to receive several surprising updates soon after.**

* * *

About a week after the events that caused Master Elgraste's demise, the Mahiyan kingdom held a memorial service for him, after which Dexter was proclaimed the new ruler of the kingdom: Lord Dexter of Mahiya. While he hadn't cared for the title at first, he eventually came to accept it. After all, it's not like they would allow Kitanya to rule in his stead, especially after they'd found out what she'd done…

Sofia had managed to summon the Protectors prior to her incident, and they picked up both Tiya and Kitanya, saying that, for now at least, they'd be under surveillance due to their involvement with the dark magic cult. Even though both Sofia and Dexter had tried to convince them that her heart was clean again, Vega insisted that they would take no chances. Orion echoed her sentiment. Even Sofia's magic and caring nature might not be enough, and if she experienced a relapse, it would be an awful situation for everyone. Eventually, they'd complied and let the Protectors do what they had to do.

Mahiya felt so empty without the presence of the old master and his wise words. Dexter moved into his crystal tower with Brexley and vowed to continue the man's work. The castle, on the other hand, had been completely destroyed and would need to be rebuilt eventually. After hearing Sofia's recounting of the citizens' declaration about having no powers, Dexter decided he'd likely look into getting those restored as well. After all, if something like an uprising happened again, he would definitely need all the help he could get, especially after the main ruler and his former protégé were now no longer in the picture.

Sofia had healed completely, no traces of dark magic on or within her, thanks to Cedric's help. Her hand was better, and all her jewelry and trinkets had been reinstated after she was well again.

Thankfully, Brexley hadn't been around to see Master Elgraste's demise. It was hard enough explaining to her that he'd never come back; seeing him die before her own eyes would have probably crushed her. Luckily, children were resilient, and she'd been able to come to terms with things faster than the others.

* * *

"Mr. Cedric," Sofia began tiredly one evening as she sat on his bed and watched him pack his suitcase—for real this time, as they were leaving for their next stop in the morning. She'd been especially clingy to him the last few days, though as far as Cedric was concerned, she had a good reason after everything that had occurred. He was the one constant she had on this adventure, and she wasn't about to lose that.

"Yes, Sofia?" he asked calmly, using his wand to move his suitcase to the floor for the night. He would finish packing in the morning before they left. He clambered onto the bed and leaned against his pillows, exhaling after all the preparing he'd done that evening. He was surprised when his friend crawled over and leaned against him, her head on his chest and one arm wrapped around him in a loose hug. He chuckled softly and wrapped his arm around her in response. "What is it, my dear?"

"I feel like this was all my fault…" She frowned. "If I hadn't insisted we come here after your dad told us about it—"

"—Then Kitanya _never_ would have been freed from her dark magic curse," he finished, hoping to sway her opinion. "Sofia, you can't blame yourself for this. Even if we'd never come, bad things still would have happened. Honestly, I highly doubt this kingdom would still be standing, and Dexter and Brexley probably would have fallen with it." He smiled softly at her as she looked toward him uncertainly. "It was a good thing that we came here, Sofia… Something bad happened as a result, but that is _not_ your fault. Do you understand?"

She nodded, sighing as she averted her eyes, her head turned and resting on his chest again. "It's just…weird…knowing that when we leave here… He's not going to…" She trailed off, unable to finish her train of thought as Cedric shushed her and gently rubbed her back.

"Get some sleep, Sofia."

"I'm not even dressed for bed…or in my _own_ bed…" She felt her eyes growing heavy despite her claims.

Cedric hummed gently and used his wand to conjure a heavy blanket, which draped over both of them. He then doused the lamp beside his bed and closed his eyes, resting his head against hers. "Go to sleep, my dear…"

She did.

* * *

The farewell to Mahiya, and especially to Dexter and Brexley, was difficult for both Enchancian friends. But they had to move on…figuratively and literally.

"I'm so glad I met you," Sofia told Brexley as she knelt to the girl, who signed something similar. Happily, thanks to her amulet's blessing, she understood it without question. The princess grinned as the little girl dived into her arms, hugging her. "I'll miss you too," she murmured, hugging the girl back, even though she knew she couldn't hear it. She'd feel it in her hug though, and that was what mattered.

Cedric shook Dexter's hand. "If you should ever need anything, merely send us a message to Enchancia. Address it to Cedric the Great, and it will be sent straight to me."

Dexter smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Cedric. Thanks to both of you," he corrected as he turned to Sofia, who was now standing and holding onto his little sister's hand. "I hate that we've lost Master Elgraste, and I don't know what's going to happen with Kitanya, but I do know that things would have been much worse if you guys hadn't been here."

Cedric gave his apprentice an 'I-told-you-so' look before he nodded to the twenty-year-old wizard. "It was our pleasure, Dexter."

"I'm going to miss you guys, Dex," Sofia said as she walked forward and hugged him. She then laughed as he returned her hug before releasing her. "Excuse me: _Lord_ Dex."

"Ugh." He rolled his eyes. "Going to take some getting used to, but I guess I'll manage." He grinned as Brexley ran over to him, so he knelt down and picked up the little girl. "Say goodbye to Mr. Cedric and Princess Sofia," he told her, ensuring that her _signdant_ picked up what he'd said.

She smiled and waved at them before signing 'thank you' to them both.

"I at least know that sign by now," Cedric chuckled before taking the little girl's hand, gently kissing the back of it and causing her to grin. "You're welcome, my dear. Best of luck with everything." He smiled as Sofia took his hand and led him forward, toward the AutoCoach at the gate of the kingdom.

"Hope to see you again someday," Dexter called, smiling as they echoed the statement. He looked back toward Brexley, who smiled at him. "Let's go home, kiddo."

* * *

The next few weeks for Cedric and Sofia were actually easier for them to handle. They'd met new royals and visited new kingdoms, just like they'd done all summer. And by the end of it, they'd established connections with well over twenty kingdoms, including Mahiya. Before they returned to Enchancia, they decided to make one last stop…

Cedric parked the AutoCoach on a lone beach at dusk, and he exited, helping his friend out as well. He guided her over to a large boulder, where they both sat and just watched the waves for a few minutes without even saying anything.

"You remember what you told me about the ocean when we first started this trip?" Sofia asked quietly a few minutes later, not looking at her mentor.

He blinked, turning to her.

She smiled faintly. "Sometimes…the ocean can heal the soul." She turned, directing her smile at him. "I think I needed this more than I realized."

Cedric chuckled, pulling her in for a side hug as they continued watching the water. "I've…enjoyed this trip with you, Sofia. I know it hasn't been perfect, and we've had some ups and downs, but… I'm glad I got to have you along for the ride."

She giggled as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Mr. Cedric…"

"Every morning I'm reminded how lucky I am," he continued softly. "To see the sun, to hear the birds, to feel the wind… To know that, without you, I wouldn't have experienced _any_ of this…" He smiled toward her as she blinked at him. "And you know why."

She nodded.

"So…thank you, Sofia… For giving _me_ a second chance to see the world through your eyes."

Sofia sighed, smiling. "You're welcome, Mr. Cedric… You're welcome."

* * *

"SOFIA!"

The youngest royal gasped in surprise as she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her simultaneously as she approached her own castle entrance. She laughed as she soon reciprocated the hugs of the Enchancian twins. "Amber! James! I missed you guys so much!"

"So much that she didn't even _write_ ," Amber scoffed playfully as she released her sister and brother. She grinned before placing her hands on either side of Sofia's face, turning her head in a few directions.

"Amber," she began, rolling her eyes, "what are you doing?"

"I think you've gotten the world's lightest tan," she teased as her sister laughed. "You look pretty much the same. Just a little more…windswept."

"Mr. Cedric and I were by the ocean before we got here." She smiled as her friend approached the group. "What happened to our stuff?"

"The workers are taking it inside," he informed her before smiling toward the twins. "Good evening, Princess Amber and Prince James. I trust you've had a good summer."

James grinned as he folded his arms. "Well, I totally beat Desmond in a jousting tournament. He sulked for a week."

Sofia giggled. "Poor Desmond."

"Not really," her brother said, shaking his head. "Amber made it all better." He grinned at his blushing twin. "She made him a—" He blinked when Amber put a hand over his mouth.

" _Anyway_ , glad you both made it home safely," the future queen said diplomatically. She then smiled toward Cedric. "Thanks for taking care of our sister, Cedric. I'm glad you guys are back."

Cedric was a little surprised by the second admission, but he smiled and nodded nonetheless. "We're glad to be home, Princess Amber." He chuckled as Sofia hugged him.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, a normal routine ensued. The royal siblings were now enrolled in their next year of their schooling. Sofia and Amber had nearly every class together, while James was actively working in his field and attending the knight school. Happily, everything seemed to be going rather well.

Cedric looked up when Sofia entered his opened door to his workshop, and he smiled as he waved several letters at her. "I've got something you might be interested in…"

"He's read these letters at least six times already," Cordelia complained as she tried to dust around the two friends. "Honestly, Cedric, I know you're officially back from your little trip, but you could _at least_ make it look like it's spic and span like when _I_ was working as the Royal Sorceress of Enchancia for three months."

"Yes, yes, Cordy. Relax." He passed the letters to Sofia before smiling at Calista, who was studying something in one of her books while sitting at his worktable. "Still reviewing transformative spells?"

She nodded. "They're absolutely fascinating!" she gushed, grinning up at him. "I mean, I knew about the older spells, but these new ones are simply whiz-bang!"

Sofia blinked as she looked toward Calista in shock. She then glanced at Cordelia, a questioning expression on her face.

Cordelia shrugged. "Your Aunt Tilly came to visit for a few weeks, and my little Angel Face has taken up some of her…colorful expressions."

The princess giggled before looking back at the letters individually, each one more exciting and surprising than the last.

Some updates she and Cedric had received:

*Dexter was officially inducted as Lord Dexter of Mahiya, and he'd opened the doors to all other kingdoms for business. He'd also reinstated the powers to all the inhabitants of Mahiya, and even Brexley was beginning to learn magic.

*Vega wrote to say that both Kitanya and Tiya were being cooperative and were in the process of rehabilitating. Orion had even taken the fallen sorceress under his wing and was working with her to help her better herself.

*Dante and his family were doing fine, and Princess Seraphina still wanted the duo to come to Princess Issy's first birthday party next April.

*Sir Finlay wrote to indicate that Gabriella hadn't been feeling well the last few weeks or so. As it turned out, she was actually pregnant again, which had stunned both of them…and delighted little Sapphire. She couldn't wait to be a big sister.

*Winifred had written to inquire about the trip and invite Cedric, Sofia, Cordelia, and Calista over for tea and fly cakes some day when they were all free. She also sent some special cinnamon cookies for the girls to munch on while they conducted their school activities.

*Miss Nettle even wrote in to inform them that Princess Ivy had begun painting a few rooms in _color_ , which had both shocked and delighted her. She had no idea why the princess was doing such a strange thing, but she promised to keep them updated. (This, in Cedric's opinion, was probably the most random and useless letter of them all…naturally.)

Sofia poured over the letters, all of them holding her attention and just making her smile. She had needed these updates, and she was glad to have them. She glanced up at Cedric. "I can't believe Mrs. Gabriella is pregnant again."

Cedric coughed once before rolling his eyes. " _I_ can…" He winced as Cordelia nudged him. "What?! With as much as those two—"

"Ceddy, we have little ears in the tower." She nodded toward Calista, who seemed to be ignoring them.

Cedric blushed in embarrassment. "Right… Sorry. Don't know what came over me."

"I think _I_ do," Sofia responded as she stacked the letters aside and grinned at him. "Potassium."

He gaped at her. "I thought you said—" He rolled his eyes as she laughed. "Clever, Sofia. Very clever."

* * *

That evening, the three siblings were called into the throne room for an urgent family meeting. All three were anxious, because they couldn't fathom what could possibly be wrong. Baileywick had said something along the lines of, "Your father needs to see you _now_ , but don't worry. It's nothing terrible." Well, that could be just about _anything_ at this point…

"What is it, Daddy?" Amber asked as she, James, and Sofia stood before Roland and Miranda, who were sitting on their thrones and smiling happily at each other.

"Yeah, what's the big news?" James wondered as he put his hands on his hips.

"You want to tell them?" Roland asked as he squeezed Miranda's hand.

She nodded before looking toward the siblings. "Um, before I do, James and Sofia, could you please stand behind Amber?"

Sofia blinked. "Why?"

"Trust me, Sofia…" She smiled as they did as she asked, though the request was rather strange. "All right… Your father and I met with a doctor this morning after I hadn't been feeling well the last few weeks. And…"

Amber waited in anticipation, though Sofia seemed to catch on to what was going on, especially after one of those recent letters… James, as usual, was clueless.

Miranda's hands fell to her stomach as she smiled serenely at the teens. "You're going to have a new little brother or sister in a few months."

James's eyes widened, and Sofia smiled in excitement. Amber, on the other hand…

"Amber!" James gasped as he and Sofia rushed forward, catching her before she fainted. "Amber, wake up!"

Roland laughed as he looked toward Miranda. "Well, you certainly called that…"

"What can I say? I know our children." She giggled as Sofia hurried over to her, hugging her. "Sofia…"

"Mom, I'm so happy for you!" She laughed. "Wow… I'm going to be a big sister…an older big sister…like fifteen years older."

Miranda smiled fondly at her daughter, tugging gently at her ponytail. "You're going to be a wonderful big sister, Sofia. I know you've always wanted to be one, and…sorry it took so long." She laughed.

Sofia grinned before turning back to Amber, who finally woke up.

Amber smiled dazedly before glancing at her family. "I'm sorry… I don't know what happened. I could have sworn Mom said she was going to have a baby." She started laughing.

"She did, Amber," James confirmed, blinking when she stopped laughing and promptly fainted again, knocking him over as he caught her. "Oh, come _on_!"

Sofia laughed.

The end

(And to be continued in the Beyond Enchancia Series!)


End file.
